Flamed Ford Phaeton Is America’s Most Beautiful Roadster 2024

Last weekend, nine finely crafted hot rods gathered at the Pomona Fairplex for the 74th annual Grand National Roadster Show, there to compete for the prestigious title of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. Entries included a bevy of topless 1932 Fords in various body styles, along with a ’32 Chevy roadster and a 1934 Ford roadster. Most of the buzz at the three-day show seemed to be centered around the three competitors clustered on the south end of the show’s main hall, and the winner was among them. The 1932 Ford Phaeton of Beth and Ross Myers wowed judges with its fantastic proportions, impeccable stance, and flawless black paint with intertwined licks of traditional flames.

Myers jumped with joy when she learned of her win on the GNRS main stage. ARP presented Myers with a check for $12,500, along with a trophy of her own. The massive trophy pictured near the car will be displayed at future GNRS events, with Myers’s name etched on plaque beside those of previous winners.

Roy Brizio Street Rods was responsible for the build, and the South San Francisco shop is where the phaeton got its precision metal surgery and proper proportions. Its sleek lines are a result of narrowing the cowl an inch and a half and narrowing the grille two inches. The entire body was channeled over the frame six inches, and there were a number of modifications made to the rear section of the body tub to match its new stance. Its rear panel was resculpted to mimic a two-door sedan, and the rear wheel arch was raised to match the radius of the taller rear tire. The quarter panel was stretched two inches to even out the two inches that were taken from the door in order to make it shorter.

Between the louvered hood sides is a Roush 427 Ford V-8 with individual-runner EFI. It sends power to a five-speed manual and on to a quick-change rear axle. Roy Brizio was on hand to celebrate the win as well as share the glory, pointing out that it was an all-star team of craftsmen that helped get the build over the finish line, with fellow Bay Area hot rod shop Moal Coachbuilders contributing its famous torsion bar suspension, which provides race-car handling while fitting neatly without spoiling the car’s lines. Other Bay Area shops that lent their expertise include Vintage Color Studio, responsible for the finish bodywork and paint, Sid Chaers upholstery, and Eric Reyes Pinstriping, which highlighted the Art Himsl flames.

This marks the third time a Roy Brizio Street Rods build has won the prestigious award, and Roy’s father, Andy Brizio, who passed away last year at the age of 91, also won with his “Instant T” in 1970. Previous Roy Brizio Street Rods builds that have claimed the award were Jim Ellis’ 1932 highboy in 1987 and John Mumford’s 1927 Track T in 2013.

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