THE OTHER ’55
April 21, 2025
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
GTD Speedster
While Ferrari, Corvette and other historic vehicles may come to mind upon seeing these bodylines, the GDT Speedster stands alone as a prime example of advanced engineering, creativity and, most of all, individuality. Constructed of fiberglass over a steel frame/chassis structure, the fit and finish is as good as it gets, as it shows the real-world functionality of this one-of-a-kind machine.
THE SMART CHARGER
If you are going to connect anything automatic to your car, especially when dealing with electricity, lead and acid, you owe it to yourself to do a bit more research rather than pulling just any super-discounted, off-the-shelf item and connecting it to something as potentially volatile as a lead-acid battery. But we have, haven’t we?
Small Car, Huge Win: 1955 VW Karmann Ghia “Karma” Wins the 2026 Al Slonaker Memorial Award
Under the bright lights of the 2026 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, surrounded by some of the finest hot rods and customs ever assembled, one car quietly—and decisively—rose to the top. Dennis Troggio’s 1955 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, nicknamed “Karma” and built by Buddy Hale and the team at Type One Restorations, claimed the prestigious Al Slonaker Memorial Award, standing tallest among 12 exceptional contenders.
Spotlighter
COLOSSAL COLUMBUS
Enthusiasts Had a Great Time at the Goodguys 9th Annual Nationals
Colorful street rods and street machines filled the huge Columbus Fairgrounds, with an estimated 8,000 cars in attendance. This panorama shows just a small section of the event, and the building in the background is where the swap meet was held.
Author
Jeff Tann
Photography by Josh Mishler
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.
1. Camaro fans will love this bright red ’69 Super Sport that is done in a restified form. The body is original but the engine is stronger than stock, and it rolls on American five-spoke wheels.
2. Buicks were never considered good street rod material, but that has changed recently. Jack Moody saw one that was fixed up a few years ago and decided to build his own. A healthy 502 Chevy engine powers this wild silver bullet.
3. Years ago, who would bother with a post model ’63 Chevy? Kirby Wilcox did, and he transformed this one into a fine-looking ride with two-tone paint and a wild wheel and tire combination. The power comes from a hot 350 Chevy engine backed by a 700R4 automatic overdrive transmission.
4. This outstanding ’57 Chevy convertible was built by Sam Foose years ago and has recently undergone a complete update with new paint and a wheel and tire change. Power comes from a well detailed and strong-running fuel-injected big-block Chevy engine. John Oronzio from Scarsdale, New York, drove the Chevy to the show.
5. Slick and trick is one way to describe Chad Bahr’s low-riding black ’68 Camaro. He drove the outstanding Camaro to the show from Wentzville, Missouri. A hot 350 Chevy engine backed by a six-speed manual transmission is used for power.
6. This Chevelle captured plenty of attention with the nice brown paint and tan top and interior. The convertible features large-diameter five-spoke wheels with low-profile tires. Mike Hammond drove the car to Columbus from Jefferson, South Dakota.
7. This is probably the nicest Z/28 Camaro in existence. The awesome Camaro features a variety of desirable options including the Rally Sport package and the rare factory crossram intake and air cleaner. Ed Malberg from Harmony, Pennsylvania, did the fantastic restoration.
8. Mac and Shelley Bernd from Arlington, Texas, brought their fantastic ’57 Chevy Bel Air to the show. The red-on-red post model rolls on large-diameter wheels and tires and uses a 502 Chevy engine for power.
9. This is one of the rarest Buicks in existence, a ’70 GSX running a hot Stage I engine. This one looks very nasty with the large-diameter wheels and tires and the nice, low stance. Bret Voelkel drove this one to the show from Jasper, Indiana. Bret owns Air Ride Technologies, and that is probably why this car has such a nice stance.
10. This ’55 Chevy 210 post model looks terrific with the turquoise paint and gray interior. Bill and Jeanne Langhoff drove the Chevy to Columbus from Urbana, Illinois.
11. Here is a really nicely done Chevelle just cruising through the event. It looks terrific with the two-tone silver and black paint and large-diameter wheels and tires.
12. Joe Lomonaco from Centereach, New York, brought his strong-running ’57 Chevy to the event. The ’57 sits just right and features large-diameter wheels and low-profile tires.
13. This Camaro looks great with the cowl induction hood, Z/28 stripes and large-diameter wheels and tires. Under the hood you’ll find a healthy 496ci big-block Chevy engine hooked to a Turbo 400 transmission. Jeremy Gerber drove to the show from Elgin, Illinois.
14. This ’65 Plymouth looks like a dragstrip survivor, complete with old lettering. It definitely got plenty of attention from event participants and spectators. It has a B/Stock classification because it’s running a 383 engine. Ken and Val McLean drove the car to the show from Elmvale, Ontario, Canada.
15. A Chevy can’t get smoother than this bright orange pearl ’59 El Camino. Larry Page did a number on this one and installed a healthy LT1 engine hooked to a 700R4 automatic overdrive transmission.
16. This Pontiac GTO looked good with the super-low stance and wheels and tires. The power comes from a healthy 400 Pontiac engine hooked to a Turbo 400 transmission. Chuck Hamly of Springfield, Virginia, built this nice street machine.
17. The surf’s up in Lake Michigan and Jerry Campbell from Wilmington, Delaware, is ready for it. This ’50 Chevy woody sits super low, features seaweed flames and rides on American five-spoke wheels.
18. Check out this rare and very nice ’63 Nova Super Sport convertible that features a super-low stance, large-diameter wheels and low-profile tires. A healthy 454ci big-block Chevy engine hooked to a 700R4 automatic overdrive transmission powers this lightweight little car. Michael Scheuren of Escanaba, Michigan, has a car to be proud of.
19. The early Novas were boxy and the later ones were post models, but in ’66 and ’67 Chevy stylists hit a home run with a good-looking hardtop. Today they are very popular, and this ’67 is a perfect example of why. Charles Kiser from Enon, Ohio, owns this nice Marina Blue ’67 that features a hot 327 engine backed by a four-speed transmission.
20. Oh, Henry. When racers in the ’60s were looking for lightweight cars to use in the gasser wars, many selected Henry Js. This one is set up ’60s style with huge tires sticking out of radiused wheelwells, and an engine set back for weight transfer.
21. Here is one of the best-looking Pro Street Camaros in the show, and it sounds as good as it looks. East Coast Musclecars built the Camaro, and it attracted plenty of attention all weekend long. This nice ’67 belongs to Gene Saylor of York, Pennsylvania.
