Chip Foose Wins America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award 7th Time
Legendary designer and fabricator Chip Foose, founder of Foose Design, captured the coveted “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” Award at the 57th annual Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA, on January 22, 2006. Foose, who also hosts the popular automotive show Overhaulin’ on TLC, was honored with the celebrated award for an unprecedented 7th time for his incredible interpretation of “Impression” – a 1936 Ford Roadster belonging to Ken Reister of Littleton, Colorado. Less than a year ago, the same Foose-designed vehicle won the prestigious 2005 Ridler Award at the Detroit AutoRama, marking a rare double honor for a designer in the hot rod hobby.
The “Impression” car next travels to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles where it will be on display in the highly anticipated new exhibit “Chip Foose: From Pen to Pavement” featuring dozens of Foose’s creations. It will also explore the intricate design process of this master automotive and industrial innovator. The exhibit runs Mar. 25 through Nov. 12, 2006.
Competing against the finest roadsters in the country at the world’s oldest running indoor hot rod show, the “Impression” street rod blew away the competition at the Grand National Roadster Show. Intricately sculpted coachwork in a subtle, custom shade combination of silver, charcoal, and cream BASF paint dubbed “Chipeweter” accented many of the car’s 4,000 individually handcrafted pieces which combined in an automotive harmony that left hot rod enthusiasts in awe.
Integrating teardrop headlights with subtle eyebrow distinctions, and custom lenses, create the illusion of a Ford V-8 logo. The Impression incorporates a stainless steel grille, sweeping steel body and fenders, and a sleek aluminum hood, on a Foose Design custom chassis with a 118-inch wheelbase. Its one-off suspension is based on C4 Corvette geometry with Bilstein coil-over shocks and BAER/PBR brake rotors and calipers. Specially designed 18- and 20-inch Foose custom wheels in a 1930-era spoke style and hand-cut BFGoodrich tires complete the look.
Inside the custom interior features pebble-grained leather-covered modified Cobra buckets, a dash fitted with ’35 Chevy gauges, a one-off steering wheel with the look of an airplane prop and carbon fiber door panels.
The “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” Award is presented annually to the most beautiful and exquisite hot rod roadster exhibited at the Grand National Roadster Show hosted at the Fairplex in Pomona, California. The winner is awarded $5,000 and is named on the nine-foot perpetual trophy. All U.S. built roadsters, roadster pickups and touring vehicles 1937 and older, and all designer roadsters, are eligible. The winner is determined by a point system from the judging staff and the show producer.
Founded in 1998, Foose Design is an automotive and product development company directed by legendary designer and fabricator Chip Foose. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., the company specializes in illustration, graphics, ideation model making, surfacing and the complete construction of automobiles and automobile-related products, including its unique line of Foose Design wheels. Its products and creative services are available to private individuals, television and film companies and automotive manufacturers. Chip Foose and his Foose Design team can be seen on the popular new Discovery Channel series Overhaulin’ that airs weekly on TLC, or visit the company website at www.foosedesign.com for more information.
– Cruisin’ Style magazine
www.cruisinstyle.com
