2023 Grand National Roadster Show, Pomona, CA

Grand National Roadster Show. Just typing the name brings back memories of a snow-bound kid in Connecticut poring over the latest issues of all the hot rod and custom car magazines of the 1960s, probably the March issues. That kid, and thousands more, would dream of sunny California and acres of Kool Kars. With any luck they’d get their folks to take them to one of the traveling car shows, mine was at the Hartford Armory. I never thought that one day I’d actually attend what was then known as the Oakland Roadster Show.

The 73^rd Grand National Roadster Show is over, the winners have been announced. I don’t know if this year’s show was a financial success but I can say it was one of the best GNRS I’ve attended since 1991. The weather was just about perfect (it was perfect on Saturday), the cars, all of them, were of the highest quality ever. And to top it off the cars were from all over the US and Canada. Awesome, just awesome. 

'29 Ford Model Eh Blue Collar with a Pontiac 409 (yes Pontiac - it's a Canadian thing Eh?)

Ken & Joan Sapper's Precious Hi Boy '32 resurrected after being stolen and wrecked.

The Swillco '32 Roadster

'32 Ford Roadster with twin-turbo Ford Coyote (2 photos)

A modern build belly tank Dry Lake/Bonneville car

Misfit '32 Muroc Roadster

2018 AMBR winner, '31 Ford Roadster 'Martin Special'

'32 MyWay, Joe Kugel owner/bulider

1936 Ford 5-Coupe Roadster Conversion 'Cut Up'

1932 Ford Track Nose Roadster w/an aluminum flathead

Some cool paint.

Ed Iskenderian (with red cap) - 101 years old!

1957 Kuzma Offy

1938 Eastwood Special

Pete Chapouris' Father's Day Ford

Any ideas? My thought is the pipe that comes from the intake area is from the exhaust crossover.

This was one of 2 or 3 cars I saw from Canada.

The car below.

ARDUN heads for a flathead Ford V8 60.

1927 Ford Roadster Pickup

1936 Ford Woodie Wagon

The Kansas Koupe

1956 Chevrolet 'Memory '56'

The description of the car below.

1927 Ford Model T Touring w/Toyota V8

1953 Cadillac 62 Series "Emerald Tug"

Not everything at the show is a custom or modified. Other than the wheels this '69 appeared stock.

1937 Ford Woodie

1963 Econline w/400 cid V8 & C6

John Saltsman's 1949 Studebaker "Atomitron"

Photo courtesy of Creative Visions Inc. A lot of changes that don't change the overall look. Somehow I either didn't take my own picture of I inadvertently deleted it. The owners, Ron and Kathy, stayed in the same hotel as we did. Very nice people.

2023 Al Slonaker Memorial award winning 1960 Buick Invicta X 60 by Cal Auto Creations

The back lit 'Invicta Custom' nameplates are on each of the four seats. That's the level of detail on this beautiful car. At first the car looks stock but the more you look the more you see of the changes.

America's Most Beautiful Roadster is

Jack Chisenhall's Champ Deuce '32 Ford

That's it. It was just a really great show. There was something for everyone. There was one building that was almost nothing but pickup trucks; outside on Saturday I think just about every air cooled VW from the L.A. area was there. 

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