Winners of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster & Al Slonaker Memorial Award
Nicole Baird’s 1932 Ford Roadster was crowned America’s Most Beautiful Roadster at the 76th Grand National Roadster Show…
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Roadster Show, presented by Meguiar’s, recognized the country’s top roadsters, hot rods and custom vehicles during its awards ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Fairplex in Pomona, California. The ceremony marked the culmination of the 76th annual show and included the presentation of two of the custom car world’s most coveted awards—America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) and the Al Slonaker Memorial Award, event organizers stated in a press release.
America’s Most Beautiful Roadster was awarded to a 1932 Ford Roadster owned by Nicole Baird and built by Squeeg’s Kustoms. The car beat out eight other AMBR contenders and took home the title’s $12,500 prize sponsored by ARP Fasteners. Baird’s name will be engraved on the award’s 9.5-foot-tall perpetual trophy alongside 75 former AMBR award recipients, including legends like George Barris, Andy Brizio and Chip Foose.
A descendant of the Ford Motor Co. family, Baird presented a meticulously executed roadster finished in metallic blue pearl with white scallops detailed finishes, noted the release. The paintwork was completed by Tracy and Terry Weaver, complemented by extensive chrome by Jon Wright & Ogden and polish from Russell’s Custom Polish. Power is supplied by a Buick Nailhead V-8 built by Roger Beckman, while the interior was crafted by Recovery Room.
The 2026 Al Slonaker Memorial Award
Dennis Troggio’s 1955 VW Karmann Ghia, built by Type One Restoration, was awarded the 2026 Al Slonaker Memorial Award. Troggio went head-to-head against a diverse field of 12 contenders, which included a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette, 1956 Plymouth Roadrunner and a 1951 Studebaker Champion.
Dedicated to the memory of Al and Mary Slonaker, who founded the Grand National Roadster Show in 1950, the award has been presented to the show’s best non-roadster vehicle since 1974. In addition, Traggio also received a $12,500 prize courtesy of ARP Fasteners and a billet trophy.
Troggio’s Karmann Ghia by Type One Restorations was built over the course of approximately four years. The car was extensively reengineered with reshaped body panels, including restyled fenders, doors, hood and decklid, along with modified wheel openings and stretched quarter-panels to accommodate wider tires.
Finished in a custom dark green over olive green paint scheme, the Ghia features an extraordinary level of detail, from bespoke fasteners with custom-machined bolt heads to brake rotors machined from solid 90-pound blocks of cast iron. At its core is a 2.4-liter air-cooled flat-four, paired with a reinforced transmission and limited-slip differential to handle the increased output.
Industry Legends, Historic Cars & Ground-Breaking Builds
“The 76th 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, 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. It was the perfect way to celebrate more than seven decades of this incredible show.”
This event also featured a special “Fat Attack” display showcasing the largest collection of fat fender cars and trucks from 1935-48, including the “Project 40” 1940 Ford Sedan, “Big John” Mazmanian’s 1940 Willys Gasser, John D’Agostino’s 1940 Merc Kustom “Stardust” and cars built by iconic industry legends including Chip Foose, Boyd Coddington and Gene Winfield. The event also recognized Russell Zulim and Double Z Hot Rods as the 2026 GNRS Builder of the Year with a special display.
The 20th annual Grand Daddy Drive-In hosted more than 1,500 vehicles ranging from classic hot rods to modern customs in the outdoor portion of the show, while the popular pinstriper auctions raised more than $70,000 for the Every ONE Free Foundation.
The 77th Grand National Roadster Show returns to the Pomona Fairplex on Feb. 5-7, 2027. For more information about the Grand National Roadster Show and the complete list of 2026 award winners, visit rodshows.com/gnrs.
