O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show
POMONA, Calif. – The inaugural O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show, presented by LMC Truck and Classic Truck Performance magazine, hosted more than 400 trucks, vans and SUVs of every make, model and style at the Fairplex in Pomona on September 16-17. Rod Shows, known for producing the West Coast’s largest and longest-running hot rod shows, closed out the weekend by presenting awards in more than 65 judged classes.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show
O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show
The World’s Most Beautiful Truck Award was presented to Greg Tidwell for his incredible 1940 Ford pickup. Built by South City Rod & Custom, this beautiful truck is powered by a vintage-styled 450-horsepower stroker 383 from Smeding Performance. With custom sheet metal work throughout, the truck features a 1.5-inch chop, louvered hood and bed panels, sectioned front fenders, reshaped rear fenders and a raised bed fitted with Claro Walnut wood. The exterior is finished with a glass-like coat of Glasurit Ornament Green paint by Compani Color. Tidwell bested 17 other custom trucks, which ran the gamut from early Fords to late-model Chevys, to claim the $ 12,500 prize and a custom trophy presented by ARP Fasteners.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show
“The response to this event was simply incredible. We were blown away by the variety of trucks, SUVs and vans that turned out for this first-year event,” said John Buck, owner of Rod Shows and producer of the Grand National Truck Show. “It’s clear that people love these trucks, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off this new show. I’m already excited for next year.”
Bob and Kent Matranga with Matranga Collection received the inaugural Truck Trend Setter Award, recognizing their contributions to the custom truck hobby. Select vehicles from their collection were on display throughout the weekend.
More than 200 trucks cruised into the Truck-In for the outdoor portion of the show on Saturday and Sunday and the weekend featured over 20 custom vans, many originally built in the 1970s and ‘80s.
The popular Pinstriper Charity Auction featured some of the country’s best pinstripers creating custom art to be auctioned off for charity. Their efforts generated more than $ 25,000 for the Volunteers for Veterans Foundation.
Scenes from the 2023 inaugural O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show
O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show
For more information about the O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show, including the complete list of 2023 award winners and updates on upcoming Rod Shows events, please visit www.rodshows.com/GNTS.
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