The
first ''America's Most Beautiful Roadster
In
1950 the National Roadster Show was held in California. The car
that won that first America's most beautiful roadster trophy was
a 1929 Ford roadster built by Bill Niekamp.
The body and custom nose and belly pan were constructed by the Clayton
metal shop, owned by Whitey Clayton.
The car was built for the street and also racing on the dry lakes
of southern California. The frame was a 1927 Essex with a 1942 Mercury
flathead engine.
The roadster changed hands several times over the years and in the
50s and was owned by Delmar Brink in Bellflower California and was
painted by Larry Watson in a beautiful root beer, candy color.
Somewhere in the 70s, Jim Jacobs, of Pete and Jake fame, restored
the roadster as it was in the early days. After driving the car
for years to Rod runs all over the country, he again restored it
and the roadster appeared on the green of the Pebble Beach Concours
as part of a group of Hot Rods selected to appear for the first
time at Pebble Beach.
Sold to a private collector, it recently appeared at the 65 year
Hot Rod celebration show with many of the cars the appeared on the
c over of hot rod.
Bob Nugent
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