THE AUTO BUILDER
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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.
Flare with Style
Arnold Hemedinger, a self-employed European auto mechanic and a die-hard Jeep lover, discovered an 88’ YJ Jeep Wrangler that had been stored in a barn and obviously seen better days. Arnie, being the visionary he is, instantly saw the jeep as a diamond in the rough and with a little tender care would polish out brilliantly. His wife on the other hand saw the jeep only as another mid-life crisis project that would sit among two and half acres of other would-be diamonds.
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Spotlighter
GRAND DADDY
A look Back at the 53rd Annual Grand National Roadster Show in 2002
It doesn’t matter whether this event is held in Oakland, San Francisco or San Mateo—it still gives builders the incentive to strive to win the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) title. For the past two years, the Grand National Roadster Show has been held in San Mateo, just south of San Francisco and across the bay from Oakland. This year there were 300 vehicles on display, and a good percentage of them were high-quality, creatively built roadsters. Along with the roadsters, there were closed street rods, customs, street machines and custom trucks. The show also is well known for displaying some of the finest motorcycles in the country, and this year there was a separate room just for the two-wheelers.
Author
Jeff Tann
Photography: Scott Killeen
A New Approach to AMBR Judging
Since the show’s beginning, every roadster that entered competed for the AMBR trophy, and the winner was announced after the points were counted. This year roadsters were classed together as before, but enthusiasts who wanted to compete for the coveted AMBR roadster title had to enter their topless cars into this special competition. This new judging methodology was done for two reasons. Show management found that many roadster owners wanted to show their cars but knew they weren’t AMBR candidates. This provided another venue for those cars. Also, the judging was changed so that a special team of qualified people could spend more time with each car competing for the ultimate trophy.
Builder of the Year Honors
Every year the event also showcases the Builder of the Year, and the 53rd title was presented to Steve Frisbie of Steve’s Auto Restorations. The shop is well known by Pebble Beach enthusiasts because in the past it specialized in these high-end classics. Over the last several years, Frisbie has turned his attention toward street rod building, and the shop has turned out some of the finest rods and customs in the country. Two of the most famous customs the shop has created is GoneMad and NewMad, a pair of Chevy Nomads that set new standards in styling. Frisbie also manufactures steel ’33/’34 Ford roadster and cabriolet bodies. At the show, the company displayed a new series of roadsters that will be released in limited quantity. Similar to Kugel’s Muroc roadsters, the highly stylized ’34 Ford steel roadsters will be offered with fenders or without, and will be sold complete, less driveline, interior and paint.
Crowning America’s Most Beautiful Roadster
This show features many of the finest cars in the country, and the AMBR judges had to work exceptionally hard to come up with the class winners. After the roadsters were judged and the points added up, Paul Trussell’s ’32 roadster won the coveted America’s Most Beautiful Roadster title. The classic-looking ’32 was built by Don Pilkenton of Don’s Hot Rods in Germantown, Ohio, and was debuted at last year’s Detroit Autorama, where it competed for the Ridler. Pilkenton’s shop has turned out two AMBR winners and several Ridler winners, and we credit this success to the shop’s flawless attention to detail. There were many other fine cars in the show, so we’ll let you take a look at some of them.
This awesome red Corvette features a healthy blown small-block Chevy engine. Early Corvettes are becoming a hot rod favorite.
Combining old and new styling, this ’50 Merc was a hit. The extensive body modifications were done by Dino’s Kustom Shop. The Merc did well, making Larry and Linda Hanson from Tacoma, Washington, happy indeed.
This unique ’32 Chevy roadster has been in the works for many years and belongs to auto stylist Larry Erickson. The roadster is unusual, with a front-mounted Potvin supercharger delivering boost to the small-block Chevy.
The radiator is mounted in the rear, and the rear deck is filled with large louvers. The suspension and wheels are from Hot Rods by Boyd.
If you enjoy nasty roadsters, Bob Simpson’s Deuce should get your juice flowing. The wild roadster features a Brizio chassis, a 450hp BDS blown 355 Chevy small block, and a wild paint finish by Hammons Body Shop. Dean Willis built the roadster.
One of the finest roadsters in the show belongs to Wayne and Betty Pendola from Tulare, California. Pendola has owned the ’32 for many years, and when he started updating it a while back, he decided to detail the car for the Grand National Roadster Show. Features include a steel body with an original frame, a 350ci Chevy engine, a Turbo 400 trans and a highly detailed Jaguar rear suspension.
There was no lack of roadsters at this show, and here’s another fantastic red one owned by Dino and Joyce Ramacciotti. Features include a wild 355 Chevy engine built by Elby’s Machine, a Turbo 400 trans built by Grant & Dan’s, paint by Danny Settles and upholstery by Sid Chavers.
Each year John D’Agostino introduces a new custom. For the past few years, the choice of brands was Cadillac. This year it was a ’56 Packard Executive. D’Agostino is the owner/designer, the bodywork was done by CR’s Kustoms, the paint is by Lucky 7 Customs, and the interior was done by Divine’s Custom Interiors.
The ’60 Ford Starliner was Ford’s styling masterpiece back then. Larger than previous models, the new car was well received by the buying public, with 68,461 hardtops sold. This particular car was restyled by Chip Foose, with mods by his dad, Sam Foose. R. Mattoli’s wild Starliner features a 514 Ford Motorsports engine, an Air Ride Technologies suspension system and a tasteful interior by Gabe’s.
Richard Zocchi is another famous Bay Area customizer, and he also builds a new car every year. This time he started with a ’58 Plymouth Fury and turned it into a styling masterpiece. John Aiello did the bodywork, Art Himsl the paint and Bob Divine the interior.
One of the wildest ’33 coupes in the show belongs to Sparky and Paula Bullock. The flaming coupe features a Brizio chassis, a blown Chevy engine by Reggie Jackson’s High Performance, bodywork by Mickey Galloway and paint by Darryl Hollenbeck. Art Himsl applied the flames. This car was one of the highlights of the show.
There were several nice cars in the DuPont display, and here’s a roadster with a wild and unusually styled flamed paint scheme.
There’s nothing subtle about Jim Foley’s fuel-injected 427 Chevy-powered roadster. The wild red Deuce features a Ron Attebury chassis, a cherry steel Rod Bods body, paint by Creative Concepts and a magnificent interior by Sid Chavers.
If you’re looking at this ’37 and thinking, “nice cabriolet,” think again. This cool blue ragtop is actually a roadster, one of 1,250 produced in ’37. This awesome and extremely rare roadster belongs to Paul Hansen from Pleasanton, California.
Roadsters are popular in the Bay Area, and here’s another nice one. This white-flamed Deuce features a Brookville steel body, a Brizio chassis, a Ford Racing engine and a five-speed trans. Dale Hollenbeck did the beautiful bodywork, with paint by Darryl Hollenbeck and flames by Art Himsl. Chet and Shirley Thomas own this wild Roy Brizio-built street rod.
This awesome machine was featured on the gatefold cover of the February ’02 issue of STREET ROD BUILDER. The ’33 Ford Tudor owned by Dee and Carol Barnes features a Brizio chassis, bodywork by Mickey Galloway, paint by Greg Barker, flames by Art Himsl and a wild interior by Sid Chavers. Power comes from a 485hp 460 Ford big block topped by a Vortech supercharger.
Roadsters were popular this year, and here’s another nice one. Mike Medeinos and John Thompson teamed up to build this 383 Chevy-powered ’32 highboy. Roy Brizio built the Deuce, with Craig Hill and Shawn Fenter doing the engine work.
Pat and Pam Cattello’s full-fendered ’32 roadster features an original ’32 steel body and a Roy Brizio chassis. A Super Charger of Turin (S.C.oT) blown Ardun Flathead engine hooked to a ’39 Ford trans with Lincoln Zephyr gears powers this car. The ’32 was also built by Roy Brizio’s shop and was done in ’50s styling.
If you are looking for the perfect Lil’ Deuce Coupe, this is it. Alan and Lynne Poletti are reliving the 1950s all over again with their original steel ’32 Ford three-window coupe. Roy Brizio did the chassis, with bodywork and paint by Rich Murray. Sid Chavers was busy this year, and this is another rod he reupholstered. The Duntov cam-equipped stroked 350 Chevy engine is hooked to a B&M Turbo 350 transmission.
If you like to go fast, this roadster can do it. The Bonneville 996 Special features a dual turbocharged and intercooled 298ci Chevy small block that was dyno-tuned and features 996 hp. Although the car is wearing street clothing now, in race trim the roadster ran 203.057 mph at Bonneville. George Lange owns the wild roadster, Jack Stirnemann built it, and both are now members of the 200-mph club.
After manufacturing a wild, high-tech ’32 roadster body, the crew at Zipper Motors decided to build something really different, a ’27 Lakes Modified.
This nice example belongs to Harry Craycroft of Concord, California. The car features a Zipper body and chassis combination with a GM Ram Jet 350ci engine. Darrell Zipp did the paint and Mike Elliott upholstered it.
Joe Bailon originally built this ’58 Chevy “Scoopy” in the 1950s, and it was the hit of the car shows of the time. Over the past few years, he restored the Chevy exactly the way it originally appeared at this show many years ago. The car now belongs to Jim Weidinger from Ranch Cordova, California.
Art Himsl has been working on an unusual ’37 Roadliner, perhaps one of the first SUVs. The Zeppelin, as Himsl calls it, features a 350 Chevy engine hooked to a 700R4 transmission. Mickey Galloway did the bodywork, Howdy did the interior, and Himsl the paint.
Pearl-yellow with purple flames looks great on Pat and John Erickson’s ’41 pickup. Kevin Bischoff did a fantastic job on the bodywork and paint, and Dave’s Upholstery stitched the beautiful interior. The truck is powered by a healthy 350 Chevy engine hooked to a Turbo 350 transmission.
Steve’s Auto Restoration was the Builder of the Year, and owner Steve Frisbie had many of the cars the company built entered in the show, including the incredible NewMad ’55 Nomad show car. The blue and white beauty features a full-tube chassis and a Thunderhead-equipped big-block Chevy engine.
Steve’s Auto Restoration also brought an awesome candy-apple red ’50 Mercury custom. All the extensive bodywork was done at the shop, including the chopped top and the transformation to a hardtop. Everything was done ’50s perfect.
This super-clean ’56 Chevy Bel Air hardtop was called CleanAir. The silver and white hardtop features a well-detailed 350 Chevy engine and an interior that matches the outside color. Rich and Terri Stadelhofer own the beauty, built by Creative Concepts. The nice interior was done by Howdy.
Not only do Rich and Terri Stadelhofer have a nice ’56 Chevy, the couple also owns this tasty ’32 Ford roadster. The roadster rolls on a Brizio chassis, is powered by a healthy 350 Chevy engine and features one of the best color schemes in the show. It’s obvious that Creative Customs is quickly becoming one of the leading shops in the Bay Area.
This ’50 Ford coupe is a ’50s-perfect custom that is owned and was designed by Dan Houck. The bodywork was done by URS Gretener and the paint was done by Jr.’s House of Color. In keeping with the true ’50s flavor, the interior was done by master stitcher Eddie Martinez, and Art Chrisman did the engine.
We were seeing ’32 roadsters everywhere, so it was refreshing to see Ken and Prescilla MacDonald’s bright-orange full-fendered ’29 roadster. The Model A features a Brookville steel body and chassis, with a Heidt’s front suspension and 9-inch Ford rearend. The roadster is powered by a strong-running 350 Chevy small block hooked to a Turbo 350 transmission.
Baron Von Kuhl is a’37 Ford two-door phaeton with a body that was custom made in Germany. Bill Bauce purchased the coach-built European-bodied Ford and had Steve’s Auto Restoration turn the rarity into an ultimate rod. The body was extensively reworked, and the top has been chopped. It rides on a TCI chassis with a Heidt’s Superide front suspension and a 9-inch Ford.
The German phaeton body slopes backward, giving the car an extremely smooth appearance. The wheel wells also were modified and are filled with Budnik Fontano XX wheels. The taillights are from a ’39 Lincoln.
Richard Harris from Shingle Springs, California, owns this wild purple and flamed ’33 Ford roadster. It’ another car that was in the Steve’s Auto Restoration area and features one of the company’s awesome steel bodies.
Our Lil’ Buck ’32 highboy sedan was at the show in the DuPont paint display. The Deuce was looking good and was hiding behind Art Himsl’s Zeppelin.
Chris Williams’ M-80 ’49 Chevy won the Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama and was going after the top custom award at the Grand National Roadster Show. Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido, California, built the awesome machine.
Paul Trussell brought a pair of ’32 Fords, a coupe and roadster, to the show with his sights set on the AMBR trophy. Don Pilkenton of Don’s Hot Rods in Germantown, Ohio, built the matching duo. The roadster was absolutely awesome, with a flawless body, a highly detailed undercarriage and a beautifully detailed engine. Although the roadster looked almost stock, more than 150 small, subtle body modifications were done to get the car looking just so. When all the votes were counted, this roadster won the AMBR trophy.
Paul Trussell also owns this fantastic ’32 five-window coupe. Although the car looks original, the top has been chopped just a little, and it also has been filled. Like the roadster, the coupe won the street coupe class.
Al Engel was creative when he built this unusual ’32 Ford Imperial roadster. The Deuce features a ’57 Chrysler 392 Hemi engine hooked to a 700R4 transmission. What makes this car different is the ’32 Chrysler Imperial grille grafted to the ’32 Brookville Ford body. Roy Brizio built the chassis and the car.
This sexy ’33 Ford roadster was built by the late Don Thelan in 1985 and won the AMBR title. It now belongs to Tom Gephardt and was reconstructed by Barry White Street Rod Repair Company in 2001. Even though the car was built 17 years ago, it still looks contemporary.
Turbo 32 was built at home by Roger Trunks in Portland, Oregon. It’s powered by an LT1 350 Chevy engine with twin turbos and produces 600 hp. The engine is hooked to a 700R4 transmission delivering power to a Halibrand rearend. Gary Crisp did the magnificent paint and Sid Chavers stitched the comfortable interior.
This ’40 Ford pickup is awesome because young Ryan Todd turned it into a roadster pickup with a custom bed. Ron Dalcin and Jared Soukup did the body and paint. Jerry Webster is responsible for the comfortable interior.
Bill Levine’s super-slick ’34 Ford roadster is stunning. It features a Wescott’s body, a TCI chassis and a ’91 Corvette engine hooked to a 700R4 transmission.
The Goodguys America’s Most Beautiful Street Rod honors were bestowed on Nick Barron’s eye-searing red Kugel Muroc roadster, the December ’01 cover car of SUPER ROD Magazine. This smoothie features a Chevy LS6 350ci engine hooked to a 4L60 transmission. The car was also one of SUPER ROD Magazine’s Ten Best of 2001, but the judges didn’t like the GPS speedo. Breaking new ground is always like pulling teeth.
If you take a phantom ’37 Ford three-window coupe and remove the fenders, what do you have? Steve and Donna Fuller’s ’37 Vroom. Chip Foose did the coupe’s design work, Sam Foose did the bodywork and paint, and the hood sides were built by Steve Moal. Kugel independent suspension allows the ’37 to ride smoothly, and Sid Chavers is responsible for the awesome-looking and comfortable interior.
Michael Cooper didn’t follow any standard street rod rules when he built this unusual ’33 Ford pickup. Every inch of this truck was modified in one way or another. Creative Customs is responsible for the body prep and paint, and Rich Santana did the interior. Are these the wildest set of headers you’ve ever seen? One reason the truck is called the Tubester.
How low can you go? According to the owner, Pete Harris, 2 FN Low. This ’57 Chevy pickup has too many body modifications to list here, but some of them include suicide doors and a backward-opening hood. Power comes from a 540ci blown Merlin big-block Chevy engine hooked to a Turbo 400 transmission.
There were several nice ’40 pickups in the show, and one of the nicest belongs to Greg and Elaine Rice from Keller, Texas. Features include a chopped top and a ’40 Ford Deluxe grille. The low ride height is the result of an Art Morrison frame with Air Ride Technologies parts. A 454 Chevy engine hooked to a 700R4 transmission is used for power.
