75th Grand National Roadster Show Announces Award Winners

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. 2, at the Fairplex in Pomona, California. The ceremony marked the culmination of the 75th annual show and included the presentation of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) and the Al Slonaker Memorial Award.

America’s Most Beautiful Roadster was awarded to the 1936 Ford Roadster owned by Ross Myers and built by Rad Rides by Troy. Myers’ newest build bested 10 other roadsters, taking home the title’s $12,500 prize sponsored by ARP Fasteners. Myers’ name will be added to the award’s 9.5-foot-tall perpetual trophy alongside a “who’s who” of hot rodding, including legendary builders like George Barris, Andy Brizio and Boyd Coddington.

The Fenderless ’36 roadster features a scratch-built body with modifications to the car’s shape and proportions. Designed around a blown Y-block engine, the car is mounted on a custom frame, complete with torsion bar suspension, wishbone-style radius rods and RideTech adjustable shocks. The 1957 McCulloch-supercharged 312 cubic-inch Ford Y-block is backed by a Bowler four-speed transmission and a Winters quick-change rear end.

Finished in modified Porsche aventurine green metallic BASF/Glasurit paint and a fully custom and hand-tipped leather interior, further bespoke touches include suicide doors and a hand-built lift-off top.

Bill Barbato’s golden 1933 Pontiac Sedan built by CAL Auto Creations was awarded the 2025 Al Slonaker Memorial Award. Barbato rose to the top of a diverse field of 11 contenders, which included a two-engine 1935 International Truck, 1973 DeTomaso Pantera and a 1971 VW Thing. 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. Barbato also received a $12,500 prize courtesy of ARP Fasteners and a billet trophy.

The Pontiac sedan’s design was driven by Barbato’s fascination with Art Deco styling. This build, designed by Gary Ragle and Eric Black, sits on a custom-fabricated frame by Liquid Metalworks. Finished in AuraBella Gold paint, every piece of the sedan is hand-formed, including a chopped and sectioned body, custom grille, hood side vents, hand-made running boards and one-off front and rear valances. The interior boasts contoured leather panels with diamond-pattern stitching, a one-off dash with Pontiac-inspired trim, machined crown molding with hidden LED lights and an Art-Deco-inspired steering wheel.

“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, 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.”

A record-setting crowd visited the Fairplex during the event and enjoyed the largest collection of past AMBR and Slonaker award winners ever assembled under one roof, according to the press release. More than 50 AMBR and Al Slonaker Memorial Award winners came together in the Feature Building, presented by the Petersen Automotive Museum. The event also recognized Bill Ganahl and South City Rod and Custom as the 2025 GNRS Builder of the Year with a special display.

The show also featured a collection of 16 George Barris custom creations. The display, which celebrated the legacy of the original “King of Kustomizers,” included the Hirohata Merc; Barris’ 1958/59, ‘60 and ‘62 AMBR winners; and the Batmobile, Munster Coach and Dragula. Historic cars like Dyno Don Nicholson’s 1976 NHRA Pro Stock Ford Mustang II and Bill Niekamp’s modified 1927 Ford roadster that set records on the Bonneville Salt Flats were also on display. Detroit’s Dan Webb debuted an interpretation of the late ’20s French race car called the “Panhard Razor,” which features a steering wheel that goes around the driver.

The 19th 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 pinstriper auctions on Saturday and Sunday raised more than $75,000 for the Gavin R. Stevens Foundation.

The 76th Grand National Roadster Show returns to the Pomona Fairplex, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2026. For more information about the Grand National Roadster Show and the full list of 2025 award winners, visit rodshows.com/gnrs.