(Photos by Darr Hawthorne) The 75th anniversary of the Grand National Roadster Show was a historic gathering of hot rods, especially with the largest-ever collection of past America’s Most Beautiful Roadsters and Al Slonaker Memorial Award winners ever assembled. Since moving from Oakland to the vast Pomona Fairplex in SoCal, the event has grown and matured to become the premier West Coast event for hot rodders and custom car builders. This show really is a gathering that draws folks from all over the country, and the world.
We’ve got multiple galleries to post, but our first one is below. We’ll be sharing the rest over the next few days!
This show also included a gathering of over fifty past AMBR winners alongside the next generation of custom-built masterpieces. The Grand National Roadster Show has always been a benchmark for innovation and craftsmanship in the hot rod and custom car world and this 2025 edition left nothing out.
With such a diverse mix of classic cars — T-buckets, Model As, ‘32s, and ‘36 Fords—it was a tough competition for the AMBR award with such a variety in styles and builds, always making GNRS competition special, showcasing everything from traditional hot rods to cutting-edge custom craftsmanship.
A ‘36 Ford Roadster owned by Ross Myers and built by Rad Rides by Troy took America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award showing the timeless appeal of classic design paired with modern craftsmanship. Rad Rides by Troy is known for their meticulous attention to detail and high-quality builds, so it’s no surprise they delivered this showstopper. They are being added to that legendary perpetual trophy, alongside customizing icons like George Barris, Andy Brizio and Boyd Coddington is a huge honor.
This perfect, fenderless, 1936 roadster features a scratch-built body with innovative modifications to it’s shape and proportions. Finished in modified Porsche aventurine green metallic BASF/Glasurit paint. It sports a blown Ford Y-block engine, the car is mounted on a custom chassis with torsion bar suspension, wishbone-style radius rods and RideTech adjustable shocks. The 1957 McCulloch-supercharged 312 cubic-inch engine is backed by a Bowler four-speed transmission and a Winters quick-change rearend. They took home the title’s $12,500 prize sponsored by ARP Fasteners, an incredible win for Ross Myers and Rad Rides by Troy!
Bill Barbato’s golden 1933 Pontiac Sedan built by CAL Auto Creations was awarded the 2025 Al Slonaker Memorial Award. Barbato rose to the top of a diverse field of 11 contenders, which included a two-engine 1935 International Truck, 1973 DeTomaso Pantera and a 1971 VW Thing. Dedicated to the memory of Al and Mary Slonaker, who founded the Grand National Roadster Show in 1950, the award has been presented to the show’s best non-roadster vehicle since 1974. Barbato also received a $12,500 prize courtesy of ARP Fasteners and a billet trophy.
The Pontiac sedan’s design was driven by Barbato’s fascination with Art Deco styling. This incredible build, designed by Gary Ragle and Eric Black, sits on a custom-fabricated frame by Liquid Metalworks. Finished in ‘AuraBella Gold’ paint.
Enjoy the rest of the 2025 Grand National Roadster Show with nearly 1,000 drive-in hot rods over the three-day weekend.
The 76th Grand National Roadster Show returns to the Pomona Fairplex, Jan. 30-Feb 1, 2026.
CHECK OUT THIS FIRST GALLERY OF 75 YEARS OF GNRS AMERICA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL ROADSTER WINNERS
