SAN FRANCISCO: Ford Motor Company's SVO Division (Special Vehicle Operations) is
presenting an historic photo and vehicle display, "The American Hot Rod: Yesterday
and Today." The 3000 sq. ft. display includes five vehicles from a traditional early
hi-boy roadster to a '99 Mustang Cobra. Other historic cars in the exhibition include the
Hot Rod Magazine 50th Anniversary cover car, a '27 track T Ford by Roy Brizio, a sleek
white '55 T-Bird owned by Hank Aguirre of San Bruno, CA, and customized '49 Ford designed
by Harry Bradley and built for Jack Barnard by Sam Foose.
Rod & Custom Magazine's
display includes a '32 Ford Bonneville racer, editor Jeff Tann's project vehicle, a purple
and white '36 Ford cabriolet and Rich Boyd's bright red Chevy V8-powered '33 Ford
roadster. Also scheduled for exhibition in the Petersen group space is a restored AA/Gas
Hemi Chrysler powered dragster owned and raced under the Spaghetti Benders team banner in
the early '60's by the San Paolo brothers of Seaside, CA. Street Rodders Magazine will
feature a completed project treatment on a '32 Ford roadster, "The California
Spyder", by writer-photographer Eric Geisert.
The booming SO-CAL Speed
Shop will debut three new hot rods at the Roadster Show. They include Chuck de Heras' '40
Ford coupe, a 50's style "high school hot rod" with black and orange flame job
and a Dick Landy-built 426 Mopar Hemi Chrysler engine and its companion piece - a wild '40
Willys sedan owned by Shane Weckerly and also powered by a Chrysler Hemi engine. The
heritage side of SO-CAL's display is embraced by the Bob McGee 1948 '32 Ford roadster and
the Doane Spencer '32 roadster, both owned by collector-restorer Bruce Meyer. In 1997, the
Spencer car won the inaugural hot rod class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
The National Hot Rod
Association's Motor Sports Museum in Pomona, CA, is presenting a number of historic
vehicles, including the first roadster built and owned by showman-racer Tommy
"TV" Ivo, a '23 Ford T-Bucket. Ivo will make personal appearances at the
Roadster Show 4 to 6 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, February 12 and 13. Other NHRA
cars include the famed '50s style enclosed "Glass Slipper" dragster and the #25
Chrisman & Sons racer, which saw duty as lakes, circle track and drag racer.
The Petersen Automotive
Museum in Los Angeles will field four historic roadsters including a brand-new '32 hi-boy
built by museum director Ken Gross. The little red roadster is powered by a classic Ford
flathead V8 with a SCOT supercharger.
Show hours for the six-day
Grand National Roadster Show are 4 - 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday (Feb. 10 - 11); noon to
9 p.m. Friday (Feb. 12); 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Feb. 13-14-15).
Show admission is $15 adults ($13 seniors 60+); $9 kids six through 12 and free for kids
five and under.
Discount tickets providing
$3 off adult admission are available at all Northern California Big O Tire stores and at
Your Bay Area Ford dealerships.
The Grand National Roadster
Show is presented by Your Bay Area Ford dealers and sponsored by Big O Tires. Additional
show sponsors are Crescent Truck Lines, Bonneville Watches, Mattel, Hot Rod Magazine, Rod
& Custom Magazine, Street Rodder Magazine, Custom Rodder Magazine, Custom Classic
Trucks Magazine and DRIVE! Magazine.
For event information,
contact Show Promotions, Inc., (916) 487-3994.
In 1960, the Emperor
roadster won the title as America's Most Beautiful Roadster. Entered then by Fresno's
Chuck Krikorian, the car is now owned by Fresno show promoter, Blackie Gejeian, and will
be one among more than 40 historic roadsters to win the coveted title on display in the
50th edition of the Grand National Roadster Show, February 10-15 at San Francisco's Cow
Palace.
Column Name: The
"Grand Daddy" of Them All !!!
Topic: 50th Anniversary of the Grand National Roadster Show
Writer: Michael Dobrin
Byline: AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Word Count: 682
Photo Caption: The "Emperor" Roadster
Photo Credit: Show Promotions
Series #: 1999 - 3
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