Orange County boy, Art Center School of Design grad., and star of TLC’s Overhaulin’, Chip Fosse, has just captured his third Ridler Award at the Detroit AutoRama:
Buzz about the car grew over the years. Speculation about what would emerge from hot-rod designer Chip Foose’s garage made it a fixed topic of interest among the tight-knit rod industry.
The one-off car, based on a ’36 Ford Roadster, achieved what it was built to do on Sunday: win the Ridler Award. Named for AutoRama’s first promoter, Don Ridler, it’s easily the most coveted prize among gearheads.
The awe-inspiring auto, dubbed Impression, was built at Foose Design in Huntington Beach for hot-rod enthusiast Ken Reister of Colorado.
Truth is, The Ridler is only arguably the top award, with Oakland’s America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. But, that said, is there any doubt that, with the possible exception of northern Italy, SoCal is the world’s epicenter of automotive design?