The Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, home to the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster competition, has been one of the premier car shows in the country for decades. To expand on that prowess, the folks as Rod Shows decided that with the insane popularity in custom trucks we should also have an award for World’s Most Beautiful Truck and it was, in fact, deserving of it’s own show! And with that, the Grand National Truck Show was born. We love this event and dig the variety of machines that show up. Check out the gallery of photos we got from the show below, along with details on who won what!
(Photos by Rod Shows) Pomona’s Grand National Truck Show hosted more then 400 trucks, vans and SUVs of every make, model and style at the Fairplex in Pomona recently.
The World’s Most Beautiful Truck Award, sponsored by ARP Fasteners, was awarded to Ed Ganzinotti for his stunning 1956 Ford F-100 pickup. Built by Classic Car Studio, it began its journey under the guidance of ‘Fat Jack’ Robinson, who played a key role in its initial fabrication before his passing in 2020.
Classic Car Studio completed the build, incorporating Robinson’s signature stance, a quick-change Winters rear end, and a custom wood bed floor. The truck is powered by a Jon Kaase Boss Nine 540 cubic inch V8 with Borla Stack injection. The immaculate black exterior and interior were finished by Relic Restomods and wrapped in Garrett Leather, while the cabin features a top-of-the-line Morel stereo system, Vintage Air, and Dakota Digital gauges.
Ganzinotti’s F-100 stood out among 10 other custom trucks, ranging from early Fords and Chevrolet C-10s to a 1963 Volkswagen double cab and a 1966 Chevrolet C-60 ramp truck. His build earned him a $12,500 prize and a custom trophy from ARP Fasteners.
This year’s event introduced two new awards to honor industry legends Steve Stillwell and Tom McWeeney. The inaugural Steve Stillwell Memorial Award was given to Mark Quesada’s 1956 Ford F100. Additionally, the Tom McWeeney Memorial Pinstriping Award was presented to Bertha Dominguez for her 1985 Datsun 720 King Cab, which was showcased as part of the NuMinis car club.
Dino Battilana, founder of Dino’s Git-Down, was honored with the Truck Trend Setter Award for his significant contributions to the custom truck hobby.
The show also showcased a range of curated displays, including mini trucks with dancing beds, race trucks, vans, and the THOR24, the world’s most powerful big rig. More than 250 trucks participated in the Truck-In event, held outdoors on Saturday and Sunday.
One of the highlights was the Pinstriper Charity Auction, where some of the country’s top pinstripers created custom artwork for charity. Their efforts raised nearly $20,000 for the Volunteers for Veterans Foundation.
Rod Shows, known for producing the West Coast’s largest and longest-running hot rod shows, closed out the weekend by presenting awards in more than 50 judged classes.
CHECK OUT OUR GALLERY FROM THIS YEARS GRAND NATIONAL TRUCK SHOW BELOW AND REMEMBER TO CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO MAKE IT LARGER AND TO SCROLL THROUGH THEM ALL.
