Mopar® Vehicles Invade 2026 Grand National Roadster Show – The Wrap Up

The first installment of our 2026 Grand National Roadster Show coverage highlighted the wide variety of high-quality Mopar_® vehicles displayed, along with examples of the unique event artwork that is created during show hours for an auction for charity. Here’s the concluding coverage of this spectacular Southern California hot rod event!

GNRS. Grand National Roadster Show. The whole thing started back in 1949 as “The National Roadster Show”, then in 1962, the “Grand” was added… today in its 76th year, it’s considered the “Grand-Daddy” of them all! Over the nearly 500 acres of the Pomona Fairplex, hot rods and customs are scattered all over the place, with an estimated 1,500 in all, and it takes all three days of the event to see them all.

’68 CHARGER IN PROCESS

A silver classic muscle car with its hood removed, revealing the engine, is displayed indoors at a car show among other vintage vehicles. The car appears unfinished, with no interior or front grille.

Officially revealed at the GNRS, this 1968 Charger features a GEN II HEMI^® engine, slightly revised body dimensions and reshaped firewall to accept the engine set-back. The bare steel “in progress” project is a collaboration between Marco Diaz Concepts and Hot Rods and Hobbies and when completed will be a true show-stopper!

A technical drawing and rendering of a classic Dodge Charger, showing a detailed side view sketch in grey above a colored illustration of the car in blue with black on the bottom half of the body.

The concept artwork shows the lengthened front, shortened rear and changes to the roofline, plus re-shaped front and rear wheel openings.

HEMI CHARGER SPECIMEN

Featuring a stock body, this ’68 Charger was a great reference point for the Diaz Concepts tweaked body-modded car. 426 HEMI enlarged to 572 cubes, updated with single EFI and fitted with 727 / Gear Vendors Overdrive. Numerous chassis upgrades and all done in authentic F8 Green hue.

ALL ABOUT THE HEMI

A light gray classic hot rod car with its front hood open, showcasing its engine. The car is parked outdoors on a paved area, with trees and other vintage cars in the background.

No matter what part of the Pomona Fairplex grounds you’re in during the GNRS, there’s fine examples of early iron featuring the famous Chrysler HEMI engine! Case in point, a 1941 Willys Coupe with Littlefield supercharger atop, along with a pair of Carter AFB four-barrel carbs! It’s a throwback to the legendary A/Gas drag cars from the 1960s.

Close-up view of a highly polished, chrome-plated supercharged car engine with a large air intake scoop and exposed pulleys and belt, situated inside a classic car’s engine bay.

A close-up of a shiny chrome V8 engine with exposed headers and four carburetors in a blue hot rod, parked on an asphalt surface.

And here’s a FirePower HEMI engine inside the framerails of a classic ’28 roadster, the visuals are a big part of the appeal to these Mopar powerplants, besides the enormous horsepower they develop.

An orange hardhat with MOTOR HEAD written on it and a small model engine attached to the side sits on a table alongside a coffee cup, book, and other assorted items.

And if designing a custom “Motor Head” hard hat for the Art Auction, what better miniature engine to attach than a supercharged Mopar HEMI?

1970 ROAD RUNNER

A flyer featuring a purple classic muscle car illustration, promoting a new website for PureVisionDesign.com with the tagline Turning Visions into reality. The flyer is placed on a gray surface.

A restored purple classic muscle car is displayed indoors with its hood, doors, and trunk open, showcasing its interior and engine at an auto show. The car is raised on platforms with bright overhead lighting.

Featured center stage in the Pure Vision booth, the “Haraka” 1970 Plymouth Road Runner, complete with 494-cube wedge engine and Heidts front and rear Pro-G independent suspension upgrades. Built for strong low-end torque, the engine’s induction system incorporates an early Mopar “long ram intake” manifolding and modernized EFI. Meticulously detailed, it was a big hit with the B-body Mopar enthusiasts!

1972 SATELLITE 440-4

A bright red classic muscle car with its hood open, showcasing a clean, powerful engine. The car is displayed indoors with red, white, and blue curtains in the background.

The image shows the engine bay of a classic red car, featuring an orange 440 Four Barrel V8 engine with visible spark plug wires and various engine components under an open hood.

At first glance, it appeared to be a 1972 Road Runner, however it’s actually a Satellite model and this one has a 440 big block four-barrel engine. Fully restored, it does have the addition of a Road Runner Air Grabber fresh air induction and owner-enhanced styling changes of color-keyed bumpers and rear deck spoiler. Clean machine!

SPEEDKORE ’CUDA

A bright blue classic muscle car with a hood scoop on display indoors, parked on a gray mat with promotional banners and tables in the background.

Build by the SpeedKore Performance Group (Grafton, WI), it’s the Jim Kacmarcik 1970 Barracuda done up with a GEN III HEMI crate engine along with extensive carbon fiber components, including front clip, door skins and tucked front and rear bumpers.

A blue classic muscle car with black wheels is displayed indoors at a car show. The car is on a dark carpet, with other vintage cars and display booths visible in the background.

Close-up of a high-performance car engine with carbon fiber components and blue accents, showcasing intricate wiring and parts inside a blue sports car engine bay.

Close-up of the rear side of a shiny blue car, showing reflections of lights on the smooth, metallic paint surface and part of the window and interior.

Plenty of carbon fiber bits and pieces under the hood, including Shaker Scoop itself. The addition of tinted flush mount glass is a subtle touch, as is the removal of the factory drip rails. Real craftsmanship!

FY1 LEMON TWIST ’70 ’CUDA DROPTOP

A bright yellow classic convertible car with its trunk and hood open is displayed indoors, against a backdrop of red, white, and blue curtains. The car features black interior and chrome wheels.

Part of the “Inland Mopars” Car Club display, a 1970 Plymouth ’Cuda convertible with wedge power, Shaker scoop and in FY1 Lemon Twist Yellow.

HELLCRATE-EQUIPPED ’CUDA

A shiny black classic car with its hood open, displaying its engine at an indoor car show. Another yellow classic car is parked beside it, with colorful displays in the background.

From the Cambra Speed Shop (Orange, CA), is this 1970 ’Cuda outfitted with a 6.2L Direct Connection Hellcrate Crate Engine, custom-fabricated 1 7/8-inch headers for the application and backed by a Tremec 6-speed Magnum manual transmission, McLeod Clutch, Piston Grip. Magnum Force K-member, tubular a-arms spindles, coil-overs front and rear, and Ididit rack-and-pinion steering. Rear Watts Linkage, 31-spline 9-inch diff and big 14-inch Wilwood discs. Schott 18/20 wheels and M/T rubber. Cosmetic Shaker hood scoop, Scat Procar seating.

Close-up view of a supercharged car engine with a prominent silver supercharger on top, black intake tubing, orange valve covers, and various engine components visible.

LOTS TO SEE IN EVERY AISLE

A smiling woman and man holding hands walk indoors at an event, wearing casual clothes—she in a black jacket and boots, he in a black and white shirt and jeans. The background shows an exhibition hall with booths and displays.

A classic two-tone pink and white Chrysler Imperial car is displayed indoors at a car show, with shiny chrome details and wire-spoke wheels, parked on a polished concrete floor.

The annual GNRS event is so impressive that no matter who you are or what the reason for attendance, it’s a “must” to walk the various aisles of the numerous halls and check out the entire scene – here’s Mr. & Mrs. Chip Foose doing exactly that!

Displayed in the Bill Dunn One Stop Shop booth, the Huntington Beach upholstery shop that did the new leather and mohair mix sumbrella fabric (3-color layout) upholstery work in the Foose 1955 DeSoto FireFlite Sportsman. Under the hood of that big ’50s Mopar is an SRT HEMI GEN III powerplant, keeping it all loyal to the Pentastar.

NITRO HEMI FIRE-UPS

A close-up of a vintage orange dragster with large Firehawk rear tires, exposed engine, and a single seat. The car is parked on asphalt, and a brown bag hangs from the rear roll bar.

It was 1969 when artist Kenny Youngblood noticed that the Ewald Brothers AA/Fuel Dragster was being built using the then-new Bankamericard credit card to buy parts, and the brothers then decided to name the car the “BankAmericar” and it was painted up with the credit card design on the cowl. At the time, it was a state-of-the-art car with a John Buttera chassis and potent GEN I HEMI engine, CrowerGlide three-disc clutch and direct-drive. By the time 1971 rolled around, the move went to rear-engined Fuel Dragsters so this car (less engine) was sold for the sum of $750.00. It was 1999 when the search came for the car, which was found and fully restored. Why? The rage was all about the “Cackle” scene, and this colorful car has been a major player in that world ever since. It is like a rolling time machine from the glory days of tracks like Lions, Irwindale and OCIR, and the crowds at the GNRS loved hearing that supercharged HEMI roar like the good ol’ days!

The 2027 running of the Grand National Roadster Show will be held on February 5-7, Pomona Fairplex. For details check out: www.rodshows.com

Author: James Maxwell