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The 59th Sacramento Autorama - Capitol IdeaThe 59th Sacramento Autorama Brings Kustoms To The State Kapitol From the July, 2009 issue of Rod & Custom By Kev Elliott
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Usually it's not much fun being second, but despite the Sacramento Autorama being the world's second longest running indoor car show--after the Grand National Roadster Show--it's a completely different affair to what was once its local cousin (The GNRS starting out as the Oakland Roadster Show in nearby Oakland before its move down south to LA County). Where the GNRS top honor is the America's Most Beautiful Roadster trophy, Sacramento draws from its historic custom ties and awards the World's Most Beautiful Custom trophy. Those ties include the city being the hometown of Dick Bertolucci, George and Sam Barris and home to Harry Westergard throughout his custom career. The Autorama has a featured builder each year, with Dick Bertolucci honored for 2009. Bertolucci's Body Shop has been a Sacramento landmark since the '50s, and Dick had a number of his cars on display at the show. Held at Cal Expo in Sacramento, in addition to the contenders for the WMBC award, this year the Autorama gave over one whole building to the largest collection of custom Mercs ever assembled in one place to commemorate 70 years of the marque. Famous and historically significant Mercs from '39 to the mid '50s included the Sam Barris Merc, Ohanesian '40, Bailon/Powell '50, Hirohata Merc, Coachcraft '39, Westergard '40, and even a clone of the Pharoahs' Merc from American Graffiti. This room was enough to make attendance mandatory for anyone remotely interested in custom Mercs! A number of customs were also present in the Suede Room too, probably outnumbering hot rods, with four alone from Masterson Kustom Automobiles, two of which were debuting. This room also saw a panel discussion including Gene Winfield and Sam Barris' son John on Saturday, with John in particular giving some great insight into his father's life. Of course while the Merc Room was an awe-inspiring experience for virtually everyone, the judges were having a hard time selecting from the contenders for the World's Most Beautiful Custom, but when the votes were in and the fat lady started warbling, the winner emerged as Scott Bonowski's '50 Merc, built by Hot Rods & Hobbies. 2009
Dick BeRtolucci
Autorama Builder of the Year
Dick Bertolucci was the featured Builder of the Year at the Autorama, and had a number of his cars on display, including this '28 Chevy four cylinder powered hillclimber, dubbed the Gilmour Special, and his '33 Chevy roadster, running a 1950 vintage 292 inline six and Saginaw trans with overdrive. Nostalgic on the topside, it runs a 9-inch and Pinto IFS with disc brakes. Dick's a Sacramento local, and worked on the Buddy Ohanesian Merc along with Harry Westergard as well as becoming a founder member of the Thunderbolts Capital Auto Club, the oldest continuously meeting street rod club in the US. Now retired, Dick still builds cars for himself.  My personal favorite of the...  My personal favorite of the WMBC contenders was Brian Everett's Slither, with metalwork and paint by Oz Kustoms and drivetrain and suspension work by Radford Motorsports. A Bob Divine interior completed the beautifully constructed '40 Merc.  Kim Mejia's Aiello Customs-built...  Kim Mejia's Aiello Customs-built '55 Lincoln Capri was another World's Most Beautiful Custom contender with a Bob Divine Interior. The two-tone hardtop received a healthy chop and a tastefully restyled front end retaining the stock bumper.  Mounted on a '70 Malibu chassis,...  Mounted on a '70 Malibu chassis, Oz Welch's Bad Apple Merc has been on the road for more than two decades, receiving a total makeover a couple of years back, and still looking as good today. Not a bad rolling advertisement for Oz Kustoms huh?  Saturday's Drive-In show saw...  Saturday's Drive-In show saw us give out a couple of R&C picks. Selecting Dave Bowling's '32 Tudor wasn't exactly hard, and all the more pleasing after chatting with him at length later and discovering it's a homebuilt car incorporating many neat tricks.  Our second R&C pick went home...  Our second R&C pick went home with Ray Hendricks' '54 Chevy Sport Coupe. The Cypress green and silver hardtop runs a tri-power 350, smoothed and painted bumpers, and a custom velour interior.  Dubbed Capone, Robert Gallery's...  Dubbed Capone, Robert Gallery's WMBC-competing '54 Caddy Coupe de Ville was built by Lucky 7 Customs with upholstery by Divine Custom Interiors. As well as an Outstanding Paint award, John D'Agostino presented Robert with the West Coast Kustoms award.  There was a Merc Drive-In...  There was a Merc Drive-In outside the Merc Room that wasn't part of the main Drive-In, which strangely is where we stumbled across Christian Corona's custom Chevy truck. The modified Cadillac bumper suits the front end, while around back a louvered tailgate and center section of a '53 Olds grille housing shoebox Ford rear lights looked right at home.  Dave Chavez's '49 Business...  Dave Chavez's '49 Business Coupe received a mild makeover by Masterson Kustoms and was actually the subject of a couple of tech features in R&C last year, namely headlight frenching and molded lakes pipes.  Curtis Leipold had his '40...  Curtis Leipold had his '40 Chevy coupe in the Suede Room. With mucho recontoured metal, that way-cool grille and curved window frames in the hard-topped roof, it's a true custom in every sense.  Built for Bob and Linda Rohrer...  Built for Bob and Linda Rohrer by Bear Metal Kustoms, this 1927 Chrysler is chopped 3 inches and channeled by 5 inches. If you get a close look at it, it has an aircraft-inspired theme, with much sheetmetal fabrication in the interior and trunk, with thousands of rivets, belled holes and a pair of bomber seats. A 440 motor keeps things Mopar.  Bear Metal Kustoms had two...  Bear Metal Kustoms had two cars on display in the Suede Room opposite their booth, including proprietor Jason Pall's '23 Ford/Dodge mix. With a rear mounted radiator and dimple die grille insert, it featured copper floor and interior panels, with upholstery by Jimmy Z.  There's a good chance you'll...  There's a good chance you'll remember this cartoon-like '35 pickup from the pages of TRJ two years ago, and while it still has the ability to grab your attention, it doesn't seem to have undergone much in the way of progress since.  We love it when old survivors...  We love it when old survivors surface in this hobby, so we're pleased to see the ex-Betty Elizabeth Shampoo '49 Ford convertible-turned-pickup sitting in the Suede Room. Remarkably complete, including the lift-off roof and side rails, Doug Silva is the current owner.  Fresh from their R&C Bonneville...  Fresh from their R&C Bonneville cover the Peckerheads club from Reno displayed some of their cars in the Suede Room, Ray Forbes' taking Best of Show (Suede Room) with his 364ci Nailhead-powered '34 coupe.  You want history? Check out...  You want history? Check out Tom Black's '40 Merc. Chopped by Gerry Huth when it was a mere two weeks old in 1939, it subsequently passed to Valley Custom owner Carl Morton in the `60s, and has been restored by third owner Black over the past four years, debuting at the Autorama, albeit minus an interior.  Another Merc that looked like...  Another Merc that looked like it should have been built back in the day yet wasn't, was Bill Wolfe's California Gold, with body and paintwork by Gene Winfield including a 4-inch chop, Stude grille shell and Buick headlights, a modified stock chassis now with all-wheel discs, and a big-block Chevy motor.  Lucky 7 Customs and Devine's...  Lucky 7 Customs and Devine's Custom Interiors were the talented collaborators on George Gorza's '51 Merc, Brass Knuckle, which uses '55 Chevy parking lights and a chrome grille surround for a different look.  Roseville Rod & Custom put...  Roseville Rod & Custom put together this '50 Merc for Dave and Lisa Baker with a performance slant before appearing in this very tome in '05. The 502 big-block is still there, but the Torq Thrust IIs have made way for a set of wide whites and `caps since our feature.  Kevan Sledge worked hard to...  Kevan Sledge worked hard to get his '40 Merc show-worthy, which it was, despite lacking an interior. Featuring a beautifully executed chop with re-contoured sail panels and a great nose-up stance, this will be a stunning `40s-era sled when finished.  James Baker was one of the...  James Baker was one of the lucky participants making history in the Merc Room, bringing his David Guymon-built '47 Merc from Texas for the show. Despite looking like an earlier build with its Cadillac grille and traditional `50s custom elements, the Merc was built in the late 1980s.  There's a famous photo of...  There's a famous photo of the normally camera-shy Sam Barris standing beside his Merc (the first one chopped, when it was brand new) just before it left with a new owner for Iowa, and it must have felt odd for his visiting family in his hometown to see the picture recreated with Sam's cardboard cutout standing next to the car, now restored by Roy Brizio Street Rods for John Mumford.  How many of you built the...  How many of you built the model kit of Don Tognotti's King T while growing up? The real thing, which won the America's Most Beautiful Roadster title in 1964, has just been restored.  Mike McMillan is a Chevy in-line...  Mike McMillan is a Chevy in-line six fan; his '47 Chevy is powered by a 235 and three-speed with overdrive. Taking second place in its class, it featured full fadeaways, a 3-inch chopped Carson-style top, blended rear fenders, and Buick tail lights.  The expansive Cal Expo grounds...  The expansive Cal Expo grounds meant there was plenty of room for outdoor displays as well as the indoor show cars. While we found the Bass Race (Christmas tree type lights set up so overly-bass equipped cars could "race" each other) and stereo sound-off stuff lame and irritating in the extreme respectively, we're sure their participants wouldn't have been interested in some old cars firing up their motors. We, on the other hand, appreciated the cackling blown and injected racecars.  Rick Dore's latest masterpiece...  Rick Dore's latest masterpiece in candy red was this '57 Lincoln MkII, for John O'Quinn, dubbed The Mark of O'Quinn. With fit and finish by Aiello Customs and paint by Art Himsl, this WMBC contender took Gene Winfield's personal pick.  Scott Bonowski's '50 Merc...  Scott Bonowski's '50 Merc took top honors in the World's Most Beautiful Custom competition, built and painted by Hot Rods & Hobbies to a Steve Stanford rendering, using an Art Morrison chassis and a 502ci Chevy motor. With impressive street rod type styling, it may be a chopped Merc, but it ain't no traditional custom.  Tucked away at the far end...  Tucked away at the far end of the Cal Expo facility was a building which housed the pinstripers and their Autorama Jama '09 happenin'. With twice-daily auctions for charity, and more than 20 stripers present, everything from bowling pins and panels, to a number of cars inside the hall went under the brush.
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