HOT HOT HOT - TOP 10 GNRS ROADSTERS & WINNER

    

     Aaaand the winner is :

     ''Wes Rydell’s 1935 Chevy Phaeton. No, it’s not a roadster, but is considered a “roadster with a back seat” by the car manufacturers of the day. As it has no roll up windows and uses the sheetmetal of a roadster from the front doors forward, phaetons and touring cars [which is what they called phaetons before the late-20s] have always been considered a roadster in the eyes of hot rodders and the Grand National Roadster Show [GNRS]. And just to confuse you more, roadster pickups are eligible, too. To find out more about hot rod phaetons click here.

There is a precedent for phaetons at the GNRS; Bob Sbarbaro’s T touring won in ’76, and the Boyd Coddington built, Thom Taylor [me] designed ’33 Ford phaeton of Larry Murray took the award in ’85. The Troy Trepanier-built Chevy contained a gang of body mods that would escape even a trained eye, and those combined with contemporary upgrades made it a favorite of the judges. Besides its aesthetic appeal, the paint, fit and finish, interior, and individual components were all perfectly executed, making it worthy of the award for that reason alone–though aesthetics are a guiding factor because the judges are looking for the “most beautiful” from each year’s batch of contenders. 1935 Chevy phaetons are very rare, with around 200 built. 1935 was the last year Chevy made a phaeton and FYI, 1938 was Ford’s last year for them. Congrats to North Dakota’s Rydell and Rad Rides by Troy for the 2014 America’s Most Beautiful Roadster win.''

Photos & quote : Hot Rod Blogs