You can make a strong argument that California's northern San Joaquin Valley is the cradle of customizing, considering how many customizing greats got their start in the region. Pioneers Harry Westergard and Dick Bertolucci plied their trade in Sacramento. Sam and George Barris got their start in the same area before moving to Los Angeles, while Gene Winfield did his early work in nearby Modesto.
With so much local custom history, it's no wonder the Sacramento Autorama has always drawn a high proportion of tail draggers and 'sleds. The event itself has a pretty rich history too. Started by H.A. Bagdasarian in 1950, the Sacramento Autorama is billed as the second-longest-running indoor car show anywhere. It's also one of the larger indoor shows in the West, drawing more than 350 vehicles into multiple buildings on the Cal Expo complex. It has always been a strong draw for San Francisco Bay Area cars, not to mention many from the central valley and beyond.
In 1991, the Autorama initiated the World's Most Beautiful Custom award. Much like the America's Most Beautiful Roadster award at the Grand National Roadster Show, the WMBC honor comes with an 8-foot-tall perpetual trophy, dubbed the Baggy in honor of Bagdasarian. In the past, Baggy himself would select the top custom, but the award was elevated to its own class two years ago. The honor is now earned based on a points system from a judging staff, with Bagdasarian awarding the trophy on Sunday.
Needless to say, the WMBC competition brings some outstanding customs to Sacramento every year, which was one of the main reasons we decided to take in the 57th annual gathering, held this past February 9-11. We hope you'll enjoy checking them out in print as much as we enjoyed drooling at them through the viewfinder. When you're done reading, be sure to check out the expanded coverage-including some cool rods to complement the customs on our Web site, www.rodandcustommagazine.com.
And the winner is ... Tom...
And the winner is ... Tom Kowalski's '51 Mercury! The 2007 World's Most Beautiful Custom was built by Hot Rods by Dean in Phoenix and features many timeless custom Merc touches: a tasteful chop, DeSoto grille and bumpers, '54 Merc taillights, Buick side trim, and beautiful candy red over bone white paint. There's a hopped-up Flathead under the hood, cream-colored leather inside, and lots of fine detailing throughout. You can find a full feature on the car on the Rod & Custom Web site.
The WMBC competition was heavy...
The WMBC competition was heavy on '49-51 Mercs this year-they counted for six of the 14 cars in contention, including the eventual winner. We really like the design of George Garza's chopped '51, which was built and painted at Lucky 7 Customs. Distinctive touches include a chrome-rimmed grille opening, '55 Chevy parking lights, scooped rear quarters, frenched Lincoln taillights framed with fabricated chrome trim, and a gorgeous copper finish that earned the Outstanding Paint award.
Patt and Alan Richardson's...
Patt and Alan Richardson's '49 Cadillac was a strong contender for the Baggy award. The Meadow Green beauty from Washington features a 2-inch top chop, frenched lights, subtle de-chroming, and a Ram Jet 427ci big-block mill in a highly detailed chassis.
The latest in Richard Zocchi's...
The latest in Richard Zocchi's long line of customs is this '64 Pontiac Grand Prix. The John Aiello bodywork includes Zocchi's trademark chopped top and flared rockers, plus frenched headlights in reshaped fenders and custom taillights. Art Himsl laid down the beautiful blue finish, and Bob Divine stitched the fine threads.
Rick Dore's latest effort...
Rick Dore's latest effort is this '57 Cadillac, built for John O'Quinn. It has taken on the air of a GM dream car by being turned into a two-seat roadster while retaining its distinctive Cadillac elements. Floyd Oldewurtel did the metalwork, while Danny Ornellis tweaked the fit and finish and Marcos Garcia sprayed the PPG paint.
You've seen Oz Welch's fantastic...
You've seen Oz Welch's fantastic body and paintwork on other people's customs before. This chopped Merc-with its eye-popping House of Kolor Candy Sour Apple finish-is his personal ride. Subtle scallops highlight the ground-scraping body, which sports a clean Dodge truck grille bar, rounded corners, and custom frenched taillights.