AMBR 2015  Larry and Carol Olson’s 1933 Ford Roadster

This year was the 66th annual Grand National Roadster Show. “The Grand Daddy of Them All” was presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts. 

Right from the very beginning in 1949 the show featured a top category for outstanding and breathtaking roadsters, the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster or AMBR category.

Like all beauty contests some will cheer for one style of design and construction while others have differing opinions. The judges are men of high standing in the hot rodding community and car builders themselves. They keep a low profile because the emphasis is on the cars alone. The judges have standardized criteria for judging, and they go over the cars with meticulous care. The builders and owners of these great roadsters then have to drive them a short distance so that the judges can see if they are usable as well as beautiful.

Throughout the years, the criteria has gotten very strict, and many of these cars are so valuable that they aren’t driven as much as they should be. The AMBR award is presented by the L.A. Roadsters Club, and this year, 18 contestants vied for the title.

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