2010 America’s Most Beautiful Roadster?
Here it is! America’s Most Beautiful Roadster, or the AMBR award as it’s known. The AMBR is easily one of the top awards in the country and this year drew 10 roadsters to competition.
2010’s AMBR winner is a 1933 Ford, or loosely based on that design, and is owned by Mike and Dianne Dingman. The car was called, “Possessed” and was built by Scott’s Hot Rods, a shop that built another America’s Most Beautiful Roadster winner back in 2008. (2008 AMBR Story)
Beyond that, you know what? Not much to say. This is one of only a couple pictures we took of the car for a couple reasons:
First off, it was tough getting decent pictures.
On Friday, during our media happy hour and right into the time when the public crowds started rolling in, the Scott’s guys were busy setting up the car and the display. Sure, there were chances to get shots of dudes busily wiping stuff down and placing the display panels, but there’s only so much you can photoshop. (We did get one “interesting” video, but that’s being saved for the, “how to ruin a video at a car show” tirade.)
On Saturday, thankfully, the GNRS crew let us in early to take pics without the cars mobbed with onlookers. Saturday was PACKED with people and great “outdoor” show cars. Too bad Saturday’s breakfast was more of the same… Scott’s guys doing the cleaning that’s part of the show, but also tightening up the leaking rear axle and wiping up the lube we saw dripping out before we left Friday. Some carefully placed Mardi Gras beads below where the drip was looked like cheap insurance just in case the drip returned. This Autoweek Story reports all the last minute troubles they overcame to make it to the show.
Then second, the car just didn’t do it for me. Didn’t turn my crank, wind my clock, whatever.
Before I sound like a hater, let’s say what the car was:
- Amazingly detailed! The polished-to-perfection chrome was near blinding
- Displayed best. They had the only rotating display which helped the wide-mouthed onlookers see every point adding modification. The Mardi Gras dolls looked messy, but were spot on the theme.
- Built by guys who could build anything. The Scott’s crew could have put in a full kitchen (with sink) if they wanted to and it would have fit perfectly
- Finally, it’s the AMBR winner, so what do I know?
I’m a hot rod guy, so a few other cars (tomorrow’s post) fit me alot better. And if I had to say one thing I didn’t like about Possessed, I’ll always dislike chrome rotors! I’m stupid, but that just bugs me. I guess it’d score points in the show, great, but for me it just shows complete disdain for hot rods and driven cars of all kinds.
Enough of my whining, I’d love your feedback! For or against this car as America’s Most Beautiful Roadster, leave a comment below.
Past Winners from the Grand National Roadster Show
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The grille looks cool. I’m not a fan of chrome wheels, so chrome rotors doesn’t spin my twincams either. ;) I’d like to see more pics of it, looks like it has some cool body mods, but I’m with you, I’d rather see a ’33 roadster with 100k miles and stickers on it from all the places its been driven!
I guess I really don’t get the whole awards thing. Build-it, drive-it, re-build it.
I was really hoping for a fish eye lens shot here…
Anyway… In my opinion (yes, OPINION… like it, hate it, whatever, it’s my opinion. Voice yours, too!), it was a success in that, as a purpose-built car, it delivered the trophy. As a styling exercise, it’s certainly not for everyone. There is a level of finish and polish at work here that is obviously second to none… Yet, it’s built to win an award, and that seems to require some kind of agenda in today’s show car world, which this car nails as it follows the same plan as the winner two years prior… and it’s obviously working. There has already been some outcry on other sites about the car, including many unprovoked jabs at the shop which created the car… none of which serves any purpose. Granted, we live in the age of excess, and it’s plainly seen on any car show floor.
But what’s the alternative?
A cookie-cutter traditional car? Something even more plotted to chase trophies? Somewhere, in between this car, the Miller Hauler displayed across the aisle from it, and something like Todd Stevens’ orange monster just across the aisle from that, the truth lies. A car with simplicity, supreme attention to detail, historical reverence and a unique translation of all of these would hold the key to an AMBR-winner that gets it all back on track… A car that shows some soul in its design, and just moves onlookers beyond “wow, that looks expensive”! Again, that’s just me.
Congrats to the winning team on some amazing dedication and hard work, and sincere wishes for your continued success.
I must say that your comments about “Possessed” are dead on. The evolution of the AMBR award has been going in a “throw enough money at it and it’ll win” direction for a few years now. Not to say that other, more traditional contenders aren’t high-dollar cars. I just have more admiration for a builder that sticks to a (near) stock wheelbase rod, and a stock-based body. If you look back at the history of the AMBR award there has always been the swing of the pendulum from the radical (the “Invader in 1967 for example) to the traditional (Ermie Immerso’s Ardun V-8 Deuce in 1988). It will swing back to the traditional once again, as long as there are people like Scott Stevens building and competing with cars such as his. Based simply on the number of photos I took of his car, for me it was the star of the show.
Thanks J.R. we appreciate your comment. Everyone’s got a favorite and I’m with you hoping the pendulum swings back at least a little. Which car is Scott Stevens? Can you write a story about it for us? (with your pictures)
To say that ANY show winning car is controversial to someone is kind of like saying that when you wake up in the morning there is a good chance the sun is going to come up. Pending some act of God, the chances are you’re pretty much stating the obvious.
J.R. is right on in saying the pendulum is swinging where it is, and that it will soon change; but what won’t change is what the judges will be looking for. Ingenuity, engineering, detail, theme carried through, fit and finish, etc…At the end of the day, that’s what is going to win car shows.
It saddens me that there are only the worst of the worst when it comes to photos of this car that have popped up online. Go back a page and on this site you will see 3 photos of the other contenders….yet only one bad angled shot of the winner. Seems kind of biased if you ask me, but what do I know?
So chrome rotors, chrome wheels, and side vent’s don’t float your boat? Well they floated the customers boat which is why it has them. remember, this car was built to compete specifically for this show, but at the end of the day, it’s still the customers car and we give him what he wants. We have a set of rotors for the car that aren’t chrome, but the customer didn’t like them once they were on…so off they went.
And no, this isn’t a case of whomever writes the biggest check wins. I guarantee you (yes GUARANTEE) that this car has nearly HALF into it what all the other cars did. And politics? LOL, yeah right. you couldn’t find a more NON political man such as Justin, the owner of Scott’s. I mean, who’s more in the scene than Chip Foose? and he didn’t win right? so obviously there were no politics at play.
Bottom line, we built a points car and we are VERY proud of it. Thanks to those supporters, and if anyone get’s to see the car in person with an open mind, I bet you’ll enjoy it.
Jeph
As a designer and student of art I maintain that all of these cars are just like a piece of fine art, regardless of investment. It really isn’t whether or not you like it, it’s whether or not it produces an emotion. You can love it or hate it, just don’t ignore it. If an artist (and these builders are all artists) fails to get your attention, for good reasons or for bad, he has failed. The fact that we are in discussion at all about the rods in question makes every one of these vehicles successful exercises in the art of hot rod building.
The car I mentioned before belongs to TODD Stevens, and is featured elsewhere in this blog.
Thanks for your comment Jeph, some very good points. It would be fair to list, “Satisfied their customer” as one of the things Scott’s did right on this build. As an employee (based on your email address) you’d know that fact better than me.
To your comment of “bad angled shot” I explained what happened in the story. I had a feeling your car would win.
Just like in 2008 when you had the wild roulette display, you had, by far, the best display for the theme. That’s one place the other builders are missing out big time. So we tried to get photos! We were there Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the morning when there weren’t many people around, but during those times, you guys were inside the display. (Want to see the video?) If you look VERY closely at this one picture in this story, you’ll see a guy’s hat above the hood. That’s in the display! Other got good pics, so shame on me, but you should clearly know why.
There was no bias, even though the chrome rotors and styling weren’t my bag. I agree, who cares as long as the customer’s happy. I also shot your 2008 AMBR winner Chrome rotors and all, I got a bunch of pics of that car.
To show my sincerity, send me some great pictures of Possessed and I’ll post them right here with credit to the photographer. I’ll also approve any comments from anyone who loved this car, especially the owner.
I would of loved to have a chance to get better shots and angles of the car but as Pikesan mentioned Scott’s crew never gave us photographers the time of day when nobody was around to get any decent shots. There were other car’s that also had the same fate as this one did when it came to get any decent shots without someone in the way during the media preview hour. When I took this shot there were two guy’s up on the display and this was the only angle I could get without them in it. And I’m positive other photographers had the same fate as I did when it came to getting any clean shots of the car. This is a big show with lots of other cars to shoot, I’m not going to stand around one car waiting for fate from above to bless me with a golden shot or three. By all means I wasn’t trying to be bias, I was just lucky enough to get just one shot without the Scott’s crew or crowd in the shot.
What saddens me is that I couldn’t do this car justice with getting more than one shot of it. I don’t know about you, but I like to have my photo’s clean and focused on the subject without a bunch of people standing around it. Our only request to the show producers is to have a time when nobody is around including the builders so we can have a chance to do these car’s somewhat of a justice.
I understand that Murphy was high on Scott’s Hot Rods tail and they had to do what they had to do to bring home the trophy and kick Murphy’s law to the curb. There were some big contenders at the show and Scott’s crew proved once again that they know how to bring home the grand daddy of them all.
As JR brilliantly pointed out, the pendulum does tend to swing between the extremes, and considering Ermie Immerso’s winners (yes, winner plural) of the AMBR trophy were both great examples of this… His Golden Star was an example of what I had mentioned above, a little traditional, a little over-the-top detail, and all winner. And ironically, that car won during the midst of the great pendulum swing. Brilliant.
Jeph, thanks for backing up my opinion that the car is a purpose-built points car. Outstanding dedication and detail are what made the car a winner, and you guys nailed that, hands-down. I’m impressed at the themed-to-match-the-show displays each year, and thanks for “getting” the show thing… It really brings back the magic of attending a show back in the old days.
Again, the car may not be everyone’s taste, but I’d bet that “everyone” didn’t show up to write the checks that built this car, and at the end of the day, all that matters is that the owner is happy (and should be!), and that all involved have created a piece of art that has been recognized as such.
It’s always been some political BS that ruins a good time, and hearing that the car “showed up late”, etc etc irks me to no end. There was some obvious magic in the logistics in getting the display up and the car displayed through all that went wrong, and that demands HUGE respect…. Then, to pull all-nighters, set up, AND be at the show all weekend…. damn, guys. You deserve praise on the oft-forgotten human side of this hobby/industry.
Thanks for thinking outside of the box, major respect for what you accomplished, and a HUGE tip of the hat for a classy handling of some undue negativity regarding this car and all who worked on it, namely on some other websites. Again, the car isn’t something everyone might build, but I’m willing to guarantee that my dream cars are not at all the taste of Mike and Dianne Dingman, and that, my friends is what this is all about: Artistic and personal expression through custom cars… and how cool is that?
Great commentary here… thanks for the insightful conversation, and again, continued best wishes on your future success!
There sure is a lot of controversay over “Posessed” and after reading what everyone has said so far about it, I had to voice my opinion.
I don’t think the public knows all that took place at the show. Rules are rules, and if you read the official rule book ( I suggest you request a copy). The rules state “All contenders must be out of their displays by noon on Friday”. It also states “Judges decisions are FINAL” We all know that Scott’s crew was in their display well after noon on Friday. So why were the rules bent for them? Politics involved??? I THINK SO! As far as someone saying Craig not having good shots of the car on here?? I think he has some of the best photos on the web compared to all the other car sites. He couldn’t get a lot of photos of “Possessed” because there were constantly people in the display! Broken rules for sure!
I know some of the judges, and talked to them briefly. (They were very busy) It was well known that “Posessed” was disqualified. By Sunday, Posessed was back in, and to top it off won the award. As mentioned before, the crew in the display, and beads covering oil leaks didnt deter the judges decision. Maybe all you have to do is threaten the owner of the show with a law suit, and you are back in?
I am not sure that the title “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” is the correct wording anymore. I often talk to the well known builders, and one had a great idea. Why not do AMBR like Pebble Beach? All the contenders in one hall, no displays, and on the same carpet. All doors, hood, and deck are closed. How a car should be. All judges walk to each car and with the contender present, they present the car to the judges by going over the whole car. Show them the quality by opening doors, hood, etc. and talk to them about all the modifications done to the car. The overall appearance of the car closed and sitting on the ground. Not grabbing points by having “chrome rotors” and “stupid trinketts” all over the car.
It seems to me that this show is nothing more than an I.S.C.A show or World of Wheels show anymore. The integrity of the AMBR award is tarnished. It is also my opinipn that Chip should of received this award. His build is much more appealing! (You may start trashing my comments now!)
Joe
Joe,
It would appear as though you would like people to start trashing your post. I’m not sure what you feel you have to gain by presenting information here that is not factual and far beyond your opinon for which you are entitled.
My car has certainly generated a lot of emotion both positive and negative and for that I am grateful. On one side there are a great deal of people who like the car or don’t necessarilly like the design but appreciate the skill and craftsmanship that went into building the car. On the other side there are those who don’t like the car and the over the top haters who have made it a mission to get their point across.
As I qouted to the HAMB’ers. ” I have not seen this many people throw up since the swine flu pandemic nor so many people scared by a display since a good “B” horror movie” but no matter what the ailment the car generated a reaction.
Your opinion is certainly well understood and accepted. I built this car for my personal satisfaction and to compete for the AMBR. It was built by many great individuals and companies none of whom deserve to be trashed by inuendos and false accusations on your part.
First. The rules do state the car must be on display and complete by noon. You are correct. The car was signed off prior to noon and we were given permission to clean the car by an authorized representative for a period of time which we met. The person giving the permission nor myself knew the actual rule at the time. The judges were aware of these instructions.
After the car was judged including points lost for a differential leak the car was disqualified. The disqualification was accepted and there were no threats of any nature. Actually, I don’t recall you being in the room at the time. Fortunately, the owners of the show, the judges and the other competitors felt otherwise after reviewing the matter and in fact having to disqualify other contenders for working on and cleaning their cars after the noon deadline including your choice of winners.
At the end of the day, all involved felt that this show was about the vehicles and presenting the best competition. The owners of the cars and additional outsiders were consulted and everyone agreed who should compete. I was then called back into another meeting, again I don’t think you were there, and told the decision.
Hopefully this clears things up a bit, maybe not to your satisfaction, but acurately.
There may controversy associated with this car for some time created by people such as yourself but there are also those that will enjoy the car for what it is or intended to be.
Again, I appreciate all of the comments I have read on this board and all over the internet and appreciate both perspectives on the car. I respect very much that every individual is entitled to their opinion.
I am personally elated with the win as this was a dream for me and I am extremely happy for those involved in the build. We set out to compete for this title under the guidelines set for this judging and we did well.
Mike
In case you didn’t notice, the comment above is from Mike Dingman, the owner of “Possessed” and the 2010 AMBR trophy, like it or not.
Mike, I appreciate your comment (and any others). If anyone’s wondering why their comments don’t show up right away, you can blame that on rampant spamming in blogs. Once you’re an approved commenter, you comments appear right away.
Mike Dingman,
I give you a lot of credit for wading into these post and but not for your post I would not have posted at all. I was competing for this years America’s Most Beautiful Roadster with the orange 32 Hemi Roadster.
About “Possessed” disqualification you state the following in your February 8th post:
“Actually, I don’t recall you being in the room at the time. Fortunately, the owners of the show, the judges and other competitors felt otherwise…”
My question Mike is who was in the room and which competitors felt otherwise?
I can tell you, I was not in the room, nor was I asked as a competitor about reversing your disqualification. Furthermore the organizers had my cell phone number and called me during the show to schedule an interview with Car Crazy, but did not call me about this matter.
So please, which competitors were contacted and what were their answers?
Also, you could eliminate a lot of controversy by posting a copy of your judging sheets showing the point deduction for the leaking differential.
Thank you,
Todd Stevens
2010 AMBR Competitor – Orange Hemi 32 Roadster
PS – If you have any concern about this being Todd Stevens who competed in this years AMBR please respond and I will gladly call Justin / Scott’s Hot Rods and provide all of my contact information.
I think they should have a regulation on what size wheels they run, i didnt realize they were letting donks win now !!!!
Josh, I edited the end of your comment because the rest of what you said was just plain stupid.
Todd,
For whatever reason there might be, if you would like to continue this discussion I would be more than willing to on a private basis. This site or any other site is not the forum to discuss these details.
Why you were not contacted or a representative of your car, I do not know. I can and will share with you all the discussions that occured in the two meetings I was called to attend.
You can contact Jeph at Scotts. He will provide you with my contact info.
As far as the posting the judging sheet. I’m not sure the sheet is the controversy. The fact that this car did not meet the rules seems to be one and the fact that there are people who like the car and people who don’t seems to be the other.
The judging sheet gave “Possessed enough points to earn the award and for that I am eternally gratefull that is all that needs to be posted.
With respect to the differential. I can assure you the points were taken because I was stupid enough to bring attention to the problem even after they had caught it twice.
We had added fluids right before we got to the show so that the car would pass mechanical without a problem. I didn’t realize the rear cover was not tight. I asked permission to tighten the cover which obviously exposed the problem and was denied. I was told i would and incurred a deduction.
And finally to Josh, Life is great as a “Donk” whatever that is. I didn’t know 20’s and 18’s where that enormous by today’s standards.
Mike
Mike Dingman,
I agree that this site or any other site is not the forum to discuss these details. For that reason I have left a message with John Buck, the Owner of The Grand National Roadster Show, to see how to best proceed from here.
As it stands now the integrity of your award and the Grand National Roadster show is in question. Competitors who were not included in the decision need to be and the facts involved in your disqualification as well as how that decision was reversed need to see the light of day.
As a competitor I look forward to getting some answers which I believe all of the competitors who followed the rules deserve.
Sincerely,
Todd Stevens
Orange 32 Hemi Roadster
rules are rules, wants your diqualfied your done ! i never heard of being undisqualifed. inless there is politics or money involved !
Some other (better) pictures of the AMBR winner here: More pictures of AMBR winner click here
Todd, stop crying you lost. theres nothing you can do at this point. do you think you would have won even if posessed had been DQ’d? i don’t.
Geoff,
Just being selected to compete in the AMBR competition is the greatest automotive honor I have ever had. Even if my car scored in 10th place I still have the satisfaction of knowing I own an AMBR worthy car. My friend Doug Jerger, owner of Squeeg’s in Mesa Arizona, and his crew built this car and I could not be more proud of them all.
Now to directly answer your question:
Do I think I would have won even if Possessed had been DQ’d?
Absolutely not,
If Possessed had been DQ’d the winner would be Chip Foose.
So Geoff, fair question and happy to give you an honest answer.
On a side note:
(And I cannot speak for the owner or builder of Possessed)
But I am pretty sure they would appreciate it if you spelled the name of their car correctly.
Sincerely,
Todd Stevens
All the AMBR contender’s roadsters were beautiful in many different ways! Congrats to all the owners and the builders. You should be very proud!
I agree with Todd. What an honor to have one of the 10 for 2010 as an “AMBR” car. The best thing is, to be with friends and family, and to remember the good times, and the good times to come drivin these badass cars!!
HRV
hahaha Craig you crack me up………=]
And HVR said it best!!!!…..Good Times to be had!!
Just found your site here. I like it. The AMBR Roadster is a pretty color and the surface finish looks very nice. Doesn’t appear that the hood flushes out on the right side, going by the step in the reflection. Not so bad as that hideous grill and the ridiculous tall wheels. The grill is the absolute worst part though. Like the car falls on it’s face in that respect. Not just poor design, but a complete lack of it. I’m more of a fan of hot rods made from real car parts.