The Great 8: 2022 Ridler Award finalists

[Hagerty]

By now you've probably seen the outrageous "Sho Bird", the radical custom 1931 Chevrolet Independence that won the Ridler Award at the 2022 Detroit Autorama. Even just based on the story's comments it's clear this year's Ridler winner was a polarizing choice. For those unacquainted with the custom hot rod universe, here's some perspective.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/events/the-great-8-2022-ridler-award-finalists/

[al5]

the stude pickup and the the 51 olds. both have a old school look and have some great engineering to make them a great hot rod.

[Flashman]

In our winner-obsessed culture, it's refreshing to see some attention paid to the other contestants. At this level, the "winner" is almost completely subjective. Any of these are equally worthy. More attention to should be paid to those who do (most of) it themselves.

[edozeph]

Yes! I think there should be an owner /builder category. How to separate them out would be necessarily problematic, but the subbing out of major work to pros seems to be logical. A guy who figures out all that stuff on his own retains the artistic control, and is on a different level than those who sub out the work.

[FloridaMarty]

If those are the "other cars", then I think the judges got it right.

[sego]

Love that Olds!

[DMcC]

Long been a favored car - not quite a Chevrolet but has the V8.

[Lash]

The Cuda is gorgeous. Wish there were more pics.

[RG440]

FINALLY, A Green Metallic ‘Cuda I liked….. I always ragged on them when they were metallic green. Would like to rag on that Mean Green !

[RichDG]

I am a Studebaker nut, so, of course I like the Studebaker PU. The Olds and the Hyper Cuda also appeal to me. I agree with Flashman's comment about those who do the work themselves, more power to those who actually are involved in the building of their cars, not just check writers.

[DevinZ2022]

I could not agree more with you. I spent hundreds of hours working with my fabricator building this car from the ground up. All of us builders have the unique feeling of achievement whether we win awards or not with the fulfilling sense of accomplishment when it is all done.

[scootertrash750]

The Ford roadster and the 51 Olds. Both cars built by their owners. I like the Olds, sb350, wheels off the shelf, ect. You could DRIVE this car.

[GLaing]

Love the tiny door on the Devin Z. Even getting into the car would be a spectacle. Fun!

[DevinZ2022]

Actually quite easy to do with the removable steering wheel.

[JSD13]

Green "Cuda" is so clean I almost mistook it for the current Challenger! That shape is eternal.

[sclin10]

Looking at the winner, the owners of the other choices must be shaking their heads in disbelief and disgust.

[DevinZ2022]

That yet seems to be the general thinking with everyone I met at the show.

[Tinkerah]

No, I don't think there's a better word than "cleaner".

[RVP1]

1933 FORD ROADSTER a classic hot rod look with those velocity stacks poking out the top.BEAUTIFUL

[DaleL]

The 'Cuda is my favorite of these seven. I graduated from high school in 1970 so that may have had an impact. Unlike many commentators I find the Sho Bird to be delightfully overdone. It is totally impractical and the styling is the polar opposite of the clean and classy 'Cuda, but if I were a judge Sho Bird would have been the winner with the 'Cuda a very close second.

[wmmlynch]

The 1951 Oldsmobile. Congrats to Dale Bernard!

[Padgett]

"Devin used exclusively General Motors" err no, were quite a few Devin bodies particularly on sports cars. In the 60s I had a Devin bodied Jaguar XK150s that had a set of Cibie halogen headlights, possibly the first in Florida (hand carried from France). "Would burn rubber in all four gears".

[DevinZ2022]

Actually, Devin built bodies for many cars, however, all of the cars he built, including the 1959 Devin SS were GM drivetrains.

[CJinSD]

https://www.sportscarmarket.com/profile/1959-devin-d-porsche-special
This Devin D Porsche was out of Bill Devin's personal estate.

[DevinZ2022]

CJ, that’s true, but he did not build the Porsche, just re-bodied it. When he built cars from the ground up, he preferred Chevrolet components. In 1959, tube chassis built in Ireland, 4 wheel independent suspension, Disc brakes on all 4, fiberglass body, 327 v8 with a 4 speed. He is an unsung hero in automotive history, a builder, racer himself. 1956 SCCA national champion and his cars set records.

[CJinSD]

The first cars Devin built himself had Panhard components. The Devin SS was sold as a complete car briefly with Chevrolet components. The Devin D was sold as a kit or as a complete car bult by Devin using a Devin tube frame, VW components and a choice of VW or Porsche engines. Devin built 46 complete Model Ds. He also built a version with a different frame that suited Corvair components.

[Rudy]

Judges got the Ridler wrong this year. While the car is wild and should be a show winner in its own right, it is down right ugly and should be named “Outlandish”

The Cuda would have gotten my vote. Beautiful in its simplicity.

[buellerdan]

Perhaps qualification for the Ridler Award should include some real world activities. How about completion of a 500 mile road rally as a requirement to compete? Body masking to protect paint would be allowed. Trailer queens need not apply. Cars were not meant to be static.

[DevinZ2022]

I like that idea. The fact that chromed rotors, that look pretty, actually make it not road worthy should disqualify it for the Ridler. It is required that the Ridler cars be operational vehicles. It is a stretch to consider felt pads that bring the car to a gradual stop is operational. But those are acceptable, so we do. Perhaps in the future we can have road worthy and trailer queen Ridlers.

[RoyRSorenson]

At the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance the cars are driven the Thursday before the show up and down the coast. The cars that complete the drive are given priority (over the cars who didn't complete the drive) when it comes time to judge the cars.

[Alico87]

Or even just what used to be used for "true street" in drag racing. A 30 mile loop is long enough to make an unroadworthy car show it's colors.

[Jr1]

The Cruise the Coast in Mississippi includes a drive along the Gulf coast.

[jimmyschwinn]

More pics please!

[DevinZ2022]

I have several that might have been a better representation of the Devin Z that I wish the article might have used to better represent the car. Happy to share them with you if you wish.

[Driver17]

"Front windshield?" Need some copy editing help.
And you say the Challenger has a Gen III Hemi, and the Cuda has a Gen II, like the Challenger. So, which?
Love that Pontiac and the Ford!

[Sledogpilot]

The Sho Bird really bugs me with the turbos down there where the first pebble or piece of trash ingested will blow them up. Also why have a hood scoop if the engine is getting its air from those stupid turbos. Choices like this make the award lose credibility. Btw 33 Ford is just “right”.

[1fastcat]

All beautiful rides . But , not driven much .

[Hacksaw]

The 33 takes the cake. The Olds is nice except for the Corvette ditty on the side. The others? Meeeh!

[flowney]

I tend to favor innovation, creativity and simplicity over the sheer volume of stuff attached to the winning '31 Chev. If there were a special category award for most ostentatious it would be a winner there but nowhere else.
I was especially impressed by the Olds grille and the '33 Ford's courageous inclusion of a Ford engine in a Ford body when a Chev power plant is almost de rigueur these days.

[DevinZ2022]

Devin Z engine was built by famed engine builder Brian Thomson of Thomson Engineering now owned by Lingenfelter

[DevinZ2022]

Pictures; I wish the article contained more pictures of these cars, But you can get a further perspective on all of them on YouTube.

[bradleydad]

Some of these entrance are not to my taste but except for the winner they all show some taste. I hope the winner does not point to a trend to come. That would make it a contest of who can tart up their ride the most. Perhaps if you took off some of that crap there might be some taste underneath the doo dads?

[Alico87]

An expensive version of those cars you see with too many stick on fender vents

[hyperv6]

What I look for in these are originality, taste, functionality, and Hot Rod. 

I am not really into seeing non hot Rod type cars in this yet. That is like giving most beautiful roadster to a hard top Chevelle when it is not a true roadster, 

These don’t always hit the mark for me but it takes all kind to make up the hobby. When they do it inspires me to look for what others are not doing. 

[Gary]

Gee, I had to build my own engine, do the body work and paint it, plus everything else myself and to top that I have to drive it! But then it is only an MGA. Fun fun fun

[SJ]

'33 Ford with a Boss Engine, sweet! Must be about the only old Ford with a Ford engine lol. The Challenger and Cuda are nice but would love to see a real Hemi under the hood all dressed out like the Boss Engine.

[corv3tte]

The Sho Bird reminds of those decorated Jeepneys from the Philippines......TAXI !!!!!! My picks are the Olds and the 33 Ford Roadster. To me the roadster is smooth and clean....the Olds embodies many car customizing items and yesteryear body styles without going over the top. Oh well....my opinion and about 5 bucks will get you a gallon of regular gas....act quickly though !

[sclin10]

5 bucks will also get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

[DUB6]

Yeah, and now they are announcing that you gotta bring your own cup (or pay a deposit to borrow one from them), as they are doing away with disposable cups.  For about $8 I can buy a whole pound of beans at my local grocery and fresh grind for my own brew every morning for about a month.  Of course, I still gotta bring my own cup!  😁

[RoyRSorenson]

Any of the Great Eight could of been a Riddler Award winner, in fact, any of these look better then the car that won it!