Wilwood brakes
The nine-foot AMBR trophy doesn’t celebrate excess. It rewards builders who understand proportion, restraint, and craftsmanship at the highest level—where every decision carries weight and every imperfection is amplified. Under the scrutiny of an expert judging panel, the 2026 AMBR contenders were evaluated on the fundamentals that have always defined America’s Most Beautiful Roadster: stance, line, finish, engineering, and an unshakable respect for roadster tradition. The margin between first and last place was razor thin, and the pressure showed in every detail.
Getting a ’55 Chevy to sit at the right ride height is as easy as installing a set of 2-inch drop spindles, such as those from Superior Spindles and others. Getting the big ol’ car to slow down offers many more choices as well, and as long as you’re swapping spindles it is an excellent time to install those long-overdue disc brakes. When you think about it, it doesn’t make good sense to put a newly rebuilt tri-5 Chevy on the same road with stock OE cars with ABS four-wheel disc brakes. If ever you came upon a situation where a car ahead of you had to stop in an emergency situation, the performance of even a stock set of disc brakes will far “outdistance” your drum setup, meaning you would not be able to stop in time and could well end up in the trunk of the car ahead of you. Not good.
It’s a mammoth effort—building world-class street rods, that is, and to accomplish the goal generally means employing the skills of craftsmen from all across the country. Dave Tucci Jr. is one of the “young gun” rod builders on the scene right now, but he has enough experience to know that finding the right people is more important than where you find them, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves a bit here.
We knew this one was special the moment we first spotted it at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show. Now it’s official—the 2025 SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polish has crowned Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy as the best overall builder of the year with his jaw-dropping Fenderless ’36 Ford Roadster.
There’s no question that this ’68 Camaro pushes buttons, limits, and envelopes. This unique creation even pushes our understanding. It’s part nostalgia, part Blade Runner, brought together through a great deal of thought, creativity, and sheer talent.
We all have our own passions and preferences in whatever we do: food, music, dress, sports and cars. And passions can run high, particularly with cars. For some it may be Fords, for others Mopars, and there’s the whole broad spectrum of General Motors products—Cadillacs, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Chevys, which, of course, have always enjoyed the largest enthusiast following. Yet today more than ever, people looking to separate themselves from the masses are reaching beyond convention to the less-favored among enthusiast cars, but no less admired
nameplates, to satisfy their car needs.
The 2025 Triple Crown of Rodding delivered a jaw-dropping lineup of cars, and the Celebrity Pick Awards highlighted the rides that captured the eyes of legends. Hand-picked by icons like Chip Foose, Corky Coker, John Jackson, and Kyle Tucker, these awards honor vehicles that combine daring creativity, flawless craftsmanship, and that undeniable “wow” factor.
When it comes to prestige in the custom car and truck world, nothing shines brighter than the Triple Crown of Rodding. With over 50 state-of-the-art billet-machined aluminum and show-chrome-plated trophies on the line, the competition is fierce. But at the top of the heap are six elite titles—the ones every builder dreams about, the ones that truly define “best of the best.”
This year marked 70 years since the 1955 Chevy hit the streets, kicking off a three-year run that forever changed the automotive landscape. And judging by the rows of spotless Bel Airs, hardtop sedans, wicked gassers, and full-tilt pro-touring machines, the legend is alive, well, and meaner than ever. Everywhere you turned, there was another masterpiece—whether it was a flawless restoration, a ground-shaking drag car, or a radical custom that pushed the envelope.
