Have you ever heard of the “AMBR” competition? Pronounced “Amber,” the acronym stands for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. It’s an annual event that attracts upwards of 500 entries and concludes with one vehicle being named “most beautiful.” The 2024 event in Pomona, California, was sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts. Here is a vehicle that was built with AMBR in mind:
The Pick of the Day is a 1932 Ford Roadster pickup listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Gatesville, Texas. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Vibrant” is the first word that comes to mind when first viewing the listing. The truck gets more attractive the longer you look at it – slim windshield, shaved door handles, subtle white accent pinstriping – every detail has been thought out. The cargo bed is lined in wood planks and stainless-steel hardware, and footwork comes from a set of one-off custom aluminum wheels by Mike Curtis. Some of the most beautiful parts of the truck aren’t even visible to the naked eye; the undercarriage is fully polished stainless steel. Indeed, this looks to be a worthy AMBR contender!
On the interior, seating is provided by a neatly upholstered white vinyl bench with tufted stitching and gold accents. The overall theme is “less is more” – no heater, no radio, no distractions – just an intimate cockpit from which to enjoy the open road and the wind in your hair. Vehicle vitals are communicated via a set of Classic Instruments gauges.
Within the side-opening hood resides a 265ci flathead V8 with Stromberg carburetors. The transmission is a Tremec T5 five-speed manual, and the Winters Performance “Quick Change” rear end is fully polished and has 4.11:1 gearing. “Can be driven or shown,” the listing says. I suppose the only thing keeping the truck from being daily-friendly is its drop-top layout and lack of a climate-control system.
But who cares about creature comforts when you can look this good rolling around? By the way, the AMBR competition is judged by industry veterans according to criteria in overall design, chassis, engine, interior, paint quality, and fit and finish. The listing doesn’t say how far this truck made it into the finalist rounds, but I imagine it fared well based on the quality of the build. The seller has provided a 30-second walk-around video with looks inside the engine compartment and the cabin.
The asking price for this runway model is $135,000.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, strut over to Pick of the Day.