PANDEMONIUM IN POMONA

The Move from Oakland to Pomona

After losing its venue as a result of renovations at the Oakland Coliseum, the show moved to San Francisco, South San Francisco and San Mateo. All of the venues in the Bay Area, including the Oakland Coliseum, were small, and so the show was moved south and held at the spacious Pomona fairgrounds. The gamble paid off, because this show has been getting bigger and better every year. Fortunately, the move didn’t seem to make a difference to northern Californians, as they still attend the show in large numbers.

This Year’s Show: The Biggest Yet

As we said, this year’s show was the biggest yet and was expanded to eight huge fairgrounds buildings, with the space between them filled with vendors displaying everything from radiators to car lifts. John Buck, the owner/promoter, has done a fine job with this event, and it remains the show to attend, especially for roadster owners and builders.

America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Competition

The show’s main attraction is the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) award, and this year was no exception. As usual, there was a large field of cars competing for the title, and all were exceptional. Included in the field of cars was our personal favorite, the original and completely restored Ala Cart that was recently completed by Roy Brizio Street Rods. The show winner this year was a wild ’32 roadster that belongs to Rudy Necoechea from Sherman Oaks, California. This unbelievably detailed roadster takes high-tech to new levels and was a first-time AMBR win for the builder and owner.

Elegant Customs and Top Designers

Elegant customs also have been a big part of this show, and that certainly hasn’t changed. One of the buildings was filled with some of the finest customs in the country, including nice examples from master designers such as John D’Agostino and Richard Zocchi. Many other nice examples were seen at the show, and all of the cars were fantastic.

Primer Rods and Cultural Nostalgia

John Buck has also recognized younger rodders and their attraction to primer rods. He had one building filled with primer rods and quite a few nice nostalgic street rods. When we walked into that building, it was obvious this was more than a building filled with primer rods; for these folks, this is a cultural experience.

More Than Just a Street Rod Show

Many people think this is just a street rod show, but it’s much more than that. There were some nice street machines, muscle cars and classics in the show that were outstanding. In the past, this show also featured nice motorcycles, and there was a huge fairgrounds building with some of the finest motorcycles in the country. Some may consider this a local show, but we saw people from all over the world in attendance, including many celebrities. If you always wanted to attend this famous show, we recommend it, because it’s always fun and filled with some of the finest cars in the country.