1933 Ford Roadster – Shockwave
A Model Becomes A Reality
By Gray Baskerville
Photography by Gray Baskerville
Since 1950, the promoters of the Grand National Roadster Show have presented the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) award to the top The initial recipients were home-brews based on race-car motifs. As the Oakland gathering became more spectator-driven, the entrants changed to purpose-built showmobiles. With few exceptions, the one-off formula continues today and is aptly illustrated by Fred Warren’s “Shockwave,” Oakland’s 50th Anniversary AMBR winner.
Technically, Warren’s wonder began nine years ago during a student design project at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The Chrysler Corporation sponsored a design competition at the college and selected then-student Chip Foose’s teardrop-shaped model as the winner. Foose would later collaborate with his father Sam, Boyd Coddington, and Troy Trepanier on a number of trendsetting rods and based his model on the amalgamation of shapes gleaned from a ’33 Plymouth three-window coupe and a ’70 Cuda. In fact, Foose’s model appeared on page 14 in HRM’s April ’91 swimsuit issue and served as a preview of the Plymouth Prowler and the creation of Warren’s Shockwave.
Via: HotRod.com
