Launching in 1950, the National Roadster Show quickly established itself as a can’t-miss event, gathering 100 modified cars indoors and attracting a crowd of 26,000. In later decades, it settled in Northern California, in the Oakland and neighbouring Bay Area venues, building a reputation as the world’s longest-running indoor car show. A major shift occurred in 2004 when promoter John Buck relocated the event to Southern California; the old guards feared the worst, yet history proved them wrong, and today some 400 vehicles fill several halls, with another 800 displayed outside, drawing around 40,000 enthusiasts over three days.
This year’s event took place at the start of February and, as always, central to its identity was the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) competition, which dates back to the very first…
