Greg Wapling

2010 Mike & Dianne Dingman 1933 Ford Roadster

The car was called, “Possessed” and was built by Scott’s Hot Rods, a shop that built another America’s Most Beautiful Roadster winner back in 2008.

2009 Harry Willet 1932 Ford roadster (Willett Coach Works)

Harry made numerous modifications to the dimensions of the all-steel body, creating what he calls a "uniside" body. The entire body is built from individual removable panels. It's channeled over a GT road racing-style chassis featuring lower rails tied to a tubular upper frame and roll bar, with front and rear independent suspension. The Viper V-10 engine is fed by the 10-port FI system used on the LeMans-winning Vipers in 1997. It's set back on the rails for the correct 50/50 weight balance. A Hurst shifter operates the Tremec T-56 six-speed.

2005 Paul and Erik Hansen 1932 roadster “Seduced” (Steve Moal)

Moal Coachbuilders crafted this sleek roadster with over 750 hand fabricated features. These include custom trim and metalwork, curved safety glass, aluminum hood, steel cowl, side panels, speed blisters, and ventilation screens. The wheels too, were designed by Moal. Even the radiator is handmade. The car is finished with a top-notch, “insatiable red” paint job. Sedeuced is thus the contemporary expression of the more than half-century old hot rod tradition, exemplifying the ideal of creating something unique and personal out of something mass-produced.

1988 Ermie Immerso 1932 Ford Roadster "Orange Twist" (Ermie Immerso)

Assembled by the late Don Thelen, the man responsible for at lest three cars on the list, and powered by an Ardun ohv converted flathead, it successfully predicted the incredible interest in early speed equipment. Just to rub it in, so to speak, Immerso the showman parked the “Orange Twist” on four polished Ardun heads so the mirrors could reflect the immaculate undercarriage.

1987 James Ells’ (Roy Brizio)

Ferrari-powered

1975 Lonnie Gilbertson (again) - T Roadster

Powered by a highly modified Chevrolet small block V-8, this striking roadster won the coveted "America Most Beautiful Roadster" award at the Oakland Roadster Show in both 1971 and 1975. One year after its last AMBR win, it competed in 29 other major events across America, taking the top prize in all but one. Its decorative side mural, candy root beer paint and earth tone upholstery are highly representative of the aesthetics of the 1970s.

1972 John Corno’s 1930 Fird Roadster (Russ Meeks)

Rear engine flip-top body

1971 Lonnie Gilbertson’s 1923 “T-Bucket”

Powered by a highly modified Chevrolet small block V-8, this striking roadster won the coveted "America Most Beautiful Roadster" award at the Oakland Roadster Show in both 1971 and 1975. One year after its last AMBR win, it competed in 29 other major events across America, taking the top prize in all but one. Its decorative side mural, candy root beer paint and earth tone upholstery are highly representative of the aesthetics of the 1970s.

1967 Bob Reisner "Invader" (Don Borth)

1966 Don Lokey 1927 Ford T Roadster "Plus II" Don Lokey

1961 Rich Guasco’s 1929 "Pure Hell" Ford Roadster (Rich Guasco)

purple

1955 The first tie: Blackie Gejeian’s “Shish-Kabob” 1926 T Ford Roadster (Blackie Gejeian’s)
and Ray Anderegg 1927 Ford (Ray Anderegg)

Blackie Gegeian’s 1927-T, known as the Shish Kabob Special for its rotisserie show display that was used to manually flip the car, showing off the chromed undercarriage.

Anderegg had trouble finding an open car, so he made do with an old 1927 Model T coupe body. He removed the top, filled the doors, and added a Model A windshield to create his own quasi-roadster. He made his own frame from four-inch channel, and in keeping with tradition for really low cars in California at the time, he placed the body over the frame and used a “suicide-style” mounted dropped axle up front for a street-hugging stance. Under the filled deck lid, Anderegg mounted a salvaged ’41 Mercury rear end. For power, he squeezed an internally stock ’42 flathead equipped with an Evans triple-carb intake and Offenhauser heads between the framerails, followed by the requisite ’39 trans. The whole thing rolled on a set of ’50 Merc wheels (reversed in the back) and a set of big-and-little wide whites. The final touches were a shortened ’32 shell and insert up front, ’42 Buick instruments in the custom dash, and simple white and yellow upholstery. Everything that wasn’t chrome plated was painted pale yellow. The project took about four years to complete.

1951 Rico Squaglia Ford Turtledeck T Roadster (Rico Squaglia)

Hood and tracknose by Harry Westergard. '38 Flathead and 3-speed.

1950 Bill Niekamp 1929 Ford Roadster (Bill Niekamp)

Constructed by Bill Niekamp in 1949, it used parts from many different cars. Components include a 1927 Essex frame, a modified 1942 Mercury V-8 engine, a 1939 Ford rear axle, and 1949 Plymouth taillamps. The belly pan, hood panels and nosepiece were hand-fabricated in aluminum. Although intended for street use, performance modifications on this car enabled it to achieve a top speed of 142.40 miles per hour at El Mirage dry lake in July 1952