MHRA

2018 Detroit Autorama Chooses Ridler Award Winner

2018 Detroit Autorama Ridler Winner

Pandemonium has erupted at the Cobo Center here at the 2018 Detroit Autorama on Sunday evening. They just announced the winner of this year’s Ridler Award competition. Here is your Ridler Award winning car for 2018:

1957 Chevy 150 Hardtop 
Owned by Greg & Judy Hrehovscik and co-owner Johnny Martin of Johnny’s Auto Trim & Rod Shop, Alamosa, Colorado. The one-off machining on this totally refabricated custom classic is incredible. It has a 515 ci Donovan Twin Turbo big block with a beautifully smoothed engine compartment. The classic ’50s look has been completely reworked for a style and grace that would make new car buyers of today green with envy.  Follow this link to review photos and video of the Ridler Award winner from this year’s 2018 Detroit Autorama. Be sure to watch the video interview with builder Johnny Martin. 

The 2018 Detroit Autorama, March 2-4, 2018, is the Grandaddy of the American custom car show events. In its 66th year, the 2018 Detroit Autorama, sponsored by the Michigan Hot Rod Association (MHRA), grabs the national spotlight for this short moment in time. Even the Oscars cannot compete with the hot news from Detroit this evening. The Detroit Autorama is world famous as the car show where the Ridler Award was born. As spectators come to see over 1,000 full custom show cars here in downtown Detroit, in the background the world awaited the announcement of a new Ridler Award winner. 

Cars-On-Line.com is on hand to cover the intense action this weekend and bring you up close and personal with the cars and builders here to compete for the coveted Ridler Award in 2018. Photo-journalist, Bob Boberg of eClassicAutos.com captured a video review of the top eight finalists here below. This is your Pirelli Great 8 for 2018:

When the Great 8 Winners were chosen on Friday the top eight finalists were set for the Ridler Award competition. Eight custom vehicles were selected out of 30 + cars in the Ridler Award competition. These top eight vehicles are called the Great 8 sponsored by Pirelli. By definition of the rules they all must be fresh builds, never shown anywhere before.

Here are the Great 8 Winners for 2018. 

All-Steel 1934 Ford Pickup
Owned by Danielle Lutz of Hamlin, Pennsylvania, builder Jason Graham Hot Rods, a made-to-order woven leather! Upholstery by Gil at Speed & Design. Washington blue paint by PPG, chrome by Advance Plating.
Follow this link for more photos and a video interview with the owner.

1969 Chevy Camaro
Owned by Stuart Adams of Mooresville, North Carolina. Car was built by Detroit Speed. It was in development for nine years. The mods are numbered in the hundreds.
Follow this link for more photos and a video interview with the builder

1939 Ford Sedan Delivery
Owned by Rhea & Harold Schrader of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. It is entered in the Semi Custom Panel Delivery category for cars from 1935 to 1948. 
Follow this link for more photos and a video interview with the owner. 

1967 Camaro Street Machine
Owned by Chris & Greg Allen of Selbyville, Delaware, entered in the Full Hardtop category. Odds on favorite among the builders here. No Camaro or street machine has ever won the Ridler Award. 
Follow this link to see more photos and a video interview with the owner. 

1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II
Owned by Chris Ryan of Ninety Six, South Carolina. It is entered in the Radical Custom category. 
Follow this link to see more photos and watch a video interview with the owner. 

1940 Ford Coupe
Owned by Reid Hotaling of Mooresville, North Carolina. Entered in the Full Custom Rod Coupe category, 1935-1948. Built by Farrell Creations & Restorations, it is beautifully hand fabricated from front to back. The body laser straight shows perfectly under the intense lighting. The stack injected ZL1 Chevy motor is itself a work of art.  

1936 Pontiac Sedan
Owned by Robert Anderson of Savannah, Georgia. Entered in the Radical Custom Rod Sedan category. 

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The Detroit Autorama is where custom car builders come to display their work and contend for the most sought-after trophy of them all, the Ridler Award. The accredited show will be held in the Cobo Center, a famous venue along the Detroit riverfront. Don Ridler was a tireless promoter for the Michigan Hot Rod Association. The Ridler Award is presented each year to the top custom car at the show in memory of his contributions. 

Sometimes we put so much weight on the importance of the Ridler Award that we forget that there are over 1,000 cars on display here at the Cobo Center during the 2018 Detroit Autorama. Cars entered in all 50 class categories are very strong entries this year. The winners of those categories are judged and awards are given for the top cars in each category. In addition, there are cash awards for the top categories. Here are some of our favorites this year:

The Detroit Autorama has been running annually for 66 years and is the feature event of the Michigan Street Rod Association. Sponsors for the event again this year are Meguiars and O’Reilly’s Auto Parts.

Click here to review last year’s Detroit Autorama coverage here on Cars-On-Line.com.