Eleven contenders rolled into Pomona, only one rolled out the winner at the 75th Grand National Roadster Show.

classic custom car displayed at an auto show with spectators in the background

The 75th Grand National Roadster Show, held under sunny skies at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, is something of an arbiter of beauty, at least when it comes to traditional hot rods. The three-day show itself often has close to 1,000 cars on the grounds, but no more than 12 are ever in the running for the most sought-after title in hot rodding: America’s Most Beautiful Roadster.

This year the judges chose a 1936 Ford owned by Ross Myers and built by Rad Rides by Troy of Manteno, Illinois. Troy Trepanier’s latest build bested 10 other roadsters, including formidable creations from Roy Brizio, who built another John Mumford classic ‘32, as well as a couple phaetons, a Stanhill ‘23 T Bucket, and Ken Green’s 1931 Hi Boy. Myers will be immortalized on the award’s 9.5-foot-tall perpetual trophy alongside a “who’s who” of hot rodding, including legendary builders like George Barris, Andy and Roy Brizio, and Boyd Coddington.

Another award at the roadster show has been elevated to near-parity with the AMBR in recent years, in an attempt to do battle with The Ridler Award that will be handed out at the Detroit Autorama in three weeks. That award is called the Slonaker Award and it’s dedicated to the memory of Al and Mary Slonaker, who founded the Grand National Roadster Show in 1950. It has been presented to the show’s best non-roadster vehicle since 1974.

This year the Slonaker went to Bill Barbato’s golden 1933 Pontiac Sedan built by CAL Auto Creations. Barbato rose to the top of a diverse field of 11 contenders in a field that included a two-engine 1935 International Truck, 1973 De Tomaso Pantera, and even a 1971 VW Thing.

This year’s show, being the 75th, also gathered together more than 50 AMBR and Al Slonaker Memorial Award winners in the Fairplex’s Feature Building, presented by the Petersen Automotive Museum, a truly once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

“The 75th annual Grand National Roadster Show demonstrated that the world of hot rodding and custom cars is as innovative and popular as ever,” said John Buck, current owner of Rod Shows and producer of the Grand National Roadster Show. “We were honored to have so many industry legends, historic cars, and ground-breaking builds fill the Fairplex this year, and it was the perfect way to celebrate more than seven decades of this incredible show.”