Growth and Impact of the Goodguys Nationals

The Goodguys Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, has been growing over the years, and this year it was enormous. The large Columbus Fairgrounds facility was packed over the July 7-9 weekend with close to 8,000 street rods, muscle cars, Pro Street machines, Pro Touring cars and a wide variety of classic trucks. We believe that this event has been responsible for elevating the quality of the aforementioned vehicles, but especially the Pro Touring cars. Many of the top street rod builders have entered the street machine ranks, and they have been building examples that have definitely made a statement.

Perfect Weather Drives Huge Turnout

There is a standing joke about Columbus that says, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait. It will change every 15 minutes.” There is definitely some truth to that, but this year Columbus had Chamber of Commerce weather. It was warm, dry and sunny all three days, making it perfect for a successful car event. The pleasant weather was responsible for the great turnout of cars and for the spectacular number of spectators who showed up on Saturday and Sunday.

Swap Meet and Manufacturer Support

Along with the enormous amount of cars in the show, there was also a large swap meet filled with parts and cars for sale. The swap meet was under cover, so it was comfortable for the swappers and the shoppers. The event also featured a large manufacturers’ area with many of the top street rod and street machine vendors. If you were looking for a certain part to finish your street rod you probably could find it in the manufacturers’ area. There was everything from rotisseries for turning your car body over to suspension components to make it ride and handle better.

Competing for the Coveted Awards

This show is attended by many of the best street rod and street machine builders, who are trying to win one of the special awards that are given out. On Saturday the Pro’s Pick area is filled with hundreds of cars looking for a Boyd Coddington award and the Goodguys Street Rod of the Year and Street Machine of the Year awards. These awards are coveted by the owners of the cars, and they are also a feather in the cap of the builders, who are always looking for new customers. The Street Machine of the Year award was presented to Bob Johnson for his G-Force Cuda. Street rod builder Alan Johnson from Gadsden, Alabama, built the wild street machine. The Street Rod of the Year award was presented to John Boyce’s outstanding ’38 Chevy coupe. Boesch Hot Rod Concepts did the extensive body modifications on this fantastic street rod and then painted it black to show off the workmanship that went into the Chevy. Several of the other cars in the show won a Boyd Coddington award.

A Must-Attend for Rod and Machine Fans

This is a show that street rod and street machine enthusiasts have to attend for themselves. The quality of the cars is fantastic, and the ingenuity and design work are also very impressive. On the street rod side of things Fords still dominate the cars in attendance, but on the street machine side Chevys rule. We can show you some of the impressive cars that were there, but this is just a small sampling.