World of Wheels
Best in show
Awards
58th Annual Chattanooga, TN 2026
Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga Convention Center January 9, 10 & 11, 2026
Award Winner
2026 Bill Croft Memorial Award Winner
Best 1st Time Shown in the Chattanooga, TN Event
Jeff Holt & his awesome 1969 Chevy Camaro won the coveted Bill Croft Memorial Award for The Best 1st Time Shown Vehicle at the Chattanooga, TN World of Wheels, along with its $2,500 Cash Prize. This vehicle is truly a work of art. The amount of craftsmanship and detail in this Camaro is simply amazing.
Chattanooga, TN
Special Awards
Bill Croft Memorial Award | Best First Time Shown
Jeff Holt Beechgrove, TN 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
Fantastic Five | First Time Shown
Curt Pribble Fairland, IN 1940 Willys Gasser Coupe Jeff Holt Beechgrove, TN 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Benji Griffin Liberty, SC 1931 Ford Model A Bruce Griffin Lincoln, AL 1968 Chevrolet C-10 Ronny Kilby Cowan, TN 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
Carlos McClendon Memorial Award | Best First Time Shown
Michael Finley Birchwood, TN 2014 Harley-Davidson Softail
Bikers Best 5 | First Time Shown
Michael Finley Birchwood, TN 2014 Harley-Davidson Softail Shannon Fleischman Easley, SC 2010 Harley-Davidson Road King Shannon Fleischman Easley, SC 2024 Harley-Davidson Road King Shannon Fleischman Easley, SC 2005 Harley-Davidson Softail Patrick Sims Ooltewah, TN 2006 Custom Built
Tenessee Gold Cup Award: Best First Time Shown From Tennessee
Ronny Kilby 1963 Chevy Corvette
Chattanooga Charlie 3 Wheel Award
Chaus Neal 2024 Honda Goldwing
David Lewallen Memorial Award
Bruce Griffin 1968 Chevy C-10
Carter G Hampton Sr True Street Rodder Memorial Award
Tim Evans 1936 Chevy Rat Rod
O'Reilly Auto Parts Pick of the Show Award
Jack Harp 1967 Ford Truck
Von Hot Rod Award of Excellence
Jeremie Kilby 1995 Chevy S-10
People's Choice Award
Frank Cervera 1966 Chevy Nova
Longest Distance Award
Best Ford Powered Ford
Shaun Stoger 1953 Ford F-100
Best GM Powered GM
Randall Moreland 1966 Chevy II
Best Mopar Powered Mopar
Jack Burke 1974 Plymouth Duster
Best Outstanding Import
Dane Case 1974 Volkswagen Bus
Best Paint: Goldstar
Tony Paris 1965 Chevy Truck
Best Use of Color: Goldstar
April Kilby 1988 Chevy S-10
Best Interior: Goldstar
Randall Moreland 1967 Chevy II
Best Engine: Goldstar
Steven McConley 1965 Cobra
Best Bike Paint: Goldstar
Michael Finley 2015 Harley Davidson
Best Bike: Goldstar
Michael Finley 2013 Harley Davidson 3 Wheeler
Best of Goldstar
Glenn Burnette 2000 Chevy Corvette
Best, Outstanding & Class Awards
- Outstanding | Individual Display
- Outstanding | 10×20 Display
- Outstanding | Non-Electrical Display
- Outstanding | Detail
- Outstanding | Engineered
- Outstanding | Undercarriage
- Outstanding | Paint
- Outstanding | Use of Color Design
- Outstanding | Bike Paint
- Outstanding | Engine | Custom
- Outstanding | Engine | Street Machine Competition
- Outstanding | Engine | Rod
- Outstanding | Engine | Truck
- Outstanding | Engine | Restored
- Outstanding | Engine | Bike
- Outstanding | Interior | Custom
- Outstanding | Interior | Street Machine Competition
- Outstanding | Interior | Rod
- Outstanding | Interior | Truck
- Outstanding | Interior | Restored
- Outstanding | Custom
- Outstanding | Sports/Sports Compact
- Outstanding | Truck
- Outstanding | Full Radical Handbuilt Truck
- Outstanding | Competition
- Outstanding | Street Rod
- Outstanding | Custom Rod
- Outstanding | Street Machine
- Outstanding | Restored
- Outstanding | Bike
- Best | Bike
- Best | Restored
- Best | Rod
- Best | Street Machine Competition
- Best | Truck
- Best | Custom
- Rising Star
- Outstanding Club Award
- Best Club Award
- Gold Star | Custom Convertible
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1949 – 1954
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1955 – 1959
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1960 – 1969
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1970 – 1979
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1980 – 1989
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1990 – 2002
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 2003 – 2020
- Gold Star | Mild Hardtop | 2003 – Current
- Gold Star | Conservative Sports | Pre – 1963
- Gold Star | Conservative Sports | 1968 – 1982
- Gold Star | Radical Sports
- Gold Star | Handbuilt Sports
- Gold Star | Conservative Pickup | 1957 – 1972
- Gold Star | Conservative Pickup | 1973 – 1987
- Gold Star | Conservative Pickup | 1988 – 2005
- Gold Star | Mild Pickup | 1957 – 1972
- Gold Star | Custom Pickup
- Gold Star | Mini Utility Wagon
- Gold Star | Lowrider Truck
- Gold Star | Domestic Bracket Racer
- Gold Star | Street Coupe
- Gold Star | Custom Rod Coupe | 1935 – 1948
- Gold Star | Radical Custom Rod Coupe | 1935 – 1948
- Gold Star | Rat Rod Coupe
- Gold Star | Rat Rod Pickup
- Gold Star | Restored | 1958 – 1967
- Gold Star | Restored Convertible | 1973 – 1999
- Gold Star | Altered Restored | 1949 – 1972
- Gold Star | Altered Restored | 1973 – 1999
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports | Mid | 1963 – 1967
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports | 1968 – 1984
- Gold Star | Go Kart
- Gold Star | Special Interest | Motorized
- Gold Star | Junior Dragster
- Gold Star | Conservative Sedan
- Gold Star | Donk Convertible
- Gold Star | Conservative Sports
- Gold Star | Contemporary Sports
- Gold Star | Compact Convertible
- Gold Star | Restored | 1968 – 1970
- Gold Star | Restored | 2000 – 2024
- Gold Star | Restored Convertible | 2000 – 2024
- Gold Star | Altered Restored
- Gold Star | Bagger
- Gold Star | Big Wheel Bike
- Goldstar 3 Wheel Bike
- Gold Star | Sport Touring
- Gold Star | Road Bike
- Altered Restored Convertible
- Golf Cart
- Custom Convertible | 1949 – 2023
- Conservative Hardtop | 1955 – 1959
- Conservative Hardtop | 1960 – 1969
- Conservative Hardtop | 1970 – 1979
- Conservative Hardtop | 2000 – 2023
- Mild Hardtop
- Donk
- Conservative Sports | 1997 – 2023
- Mild Sports
- Conservative Pickup | 1957 – 1972
- Conservative Pickup | 1973 – 1987
- Contemporary Pickup | 2024 – Current
- Mild Pickup
- Semi Pickup
- 4X4 Utility Wagon
- Mini 4X4 Utility Wagon
- 4X4 Pickup | 1988 – Current
- Full Mini Pickup
- Lowrider Truck
- Conservative Van
- Street Machine Custom | 1949 – 1964
- Street Machine Custom | 1965 – 1979
- Street Touring | 1949 – Current
- Pro Touring Truck | 1949 – Current
- Import Bracket Racer
- Super Street
- Pro-Modified
- Top Sportsman
- Funny Car
- Competition Dragster
- Gasser
- Altered Street Sedan | Pre – 1935
- Altered Street Roadster | Pre – 1935
- Altered Street Wagon | Pre – 1935
- Altered T-Roadster Pickup
- Rod Pickup | Pre – 1935
- Custom Rod Phaeton
- Pro Street Custom Rod | 1935 – 1948
- Nostalgia Rod
- Restored Bike
- Antique Custom
- 3-Wheeled Bike
- North American Manufactured Custom
- North American Manufactured
- Big Wheel Bike
- Restored | 1928 – 1934
- Restored | 1949 – 1957
- Restored | 1958 – 1967
- Restored | 1968 – 1972
- Restored | 1973 – 1978
- Domestic Sports
55th Annual Birmingham, AL 2026
Birmingham, AL
Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex January 30 - February 1, 2026
Award Winner
2026 Vaughn Early Memorial Award Winner
Best 1st Time Shown in the Birmingham, AL Event
Congratulations to Daniel Patron and his amazing 1963 Chevrolet Corvette for winning the coveted Vaughn Early Memorial Award for Best 1st Time Shown Vehicle at the Birmingham, AL World of Wheels, along with its $10,000 Cash Prize. Clean, sleek and one of a kind, this beautiful ride has been customized at the highest level of quality.
Judging & Competition Points
The Vaughn Early Memorial Award was started in 2011 and is presented to The Best 1st Time Shown Vehicle at the Birmingham, AL World of Wheels. Our professional ISCA Judging Staff selects the “Fabulous Five”: the top 5 first time shown vehicles in the Birmingham, AL show. Each Fabulous Five award winner will receive ISCA points and $600 for winning “Best” in an ISCA Category. They are, therefore, not eligible to win “Best” in any other category. This leaves the other categories: “Best Rod”, “Best Street Machine Comp”, “Best Truck”, etc. open to other vehicles and raises the total number of “Best” winners in the the Birmingham show from 6 to 11. The Vaughn Early Memorial Award and an additional $9,400 Cash Prize will be awarded to the top Fabulous Five vehicle.
This award places special emphasis on “the vehicle that best exhibits excellence in design and fabrication”.
It represents a vehicle as a total package and places its importance on creativity, ingenuity and overcoming design obstacles.
The Southeast has some of the best builders and most beautiful cars in the country.
The award’s namesake, Vaughn Early, was an avid car lover and father-in-law of the nationally recognized custom car builder, Jonathan Goolsby of Goolsby Customs.
The Birmingham show is the largest, longest running indoor custom auto show in the Southeast.
There is no better venue to establish a perpetual award of this prestige than the Birmingham, AL O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels.
Since 1971, this show has grown in size and stature to one of the most respected shows in the nation attracting top vehicles from across the US.
Alumni Gallery: Past Winners
Birmingham, AL
Special Awards
Vaughn Early Memorial Award Best First Time Shown
Fabulous Five Contender
John Myers Memorial Award Best First Time Bike
Bikers Best Five
Steve Tansy Gold Cup Award: Best 1st Time Shown From Alabama
Burl Smith Memorial Award: Most Outstanding Full Radical Hand Built Custom
Tommy Godwin Memorial Award
O'Reilly Auto Parts Pick of the Show Award
Weil Wrecker Service Pick of the Show Award
BidWinCruise.com Pick of the Show Award
Von Hot Rod Award of Excellence: In the Art of Nostalgia Rod & Kustom Car Design
Von Hot Rod Pin Striping Award
People's Choice Award
Longest Distance Award
Best Ford Powered Ford
Best GM Powered GM
Best Mopar Powered Mopar
Best Outstanding Import
Best Paint: Gold Star
Best Use of Color: Gold Star
Best Interior: Gold Star
Best Engene: Gold Star
Best Bike Paint: Gold Star
Best Bike: Gold Star
Best of Gold Star
Best, Outstanding & Class Awards
- Outstanding | Individual Display
- Outstanding | 10×20 Display
- Outstanding | Non-Electrical Display
- Outstanding | Detail
- Outstanding | Engineered
- Outstanding | Undercarriage
- Outstanding | Paint
- Outstanding | Use of Color Design
- Outstanding | Bike Paint
- Outstanding | Engine | Custom
- Outstanding | Engine | Street Machine Competition
- Outstanding | Engine | Rod
- Outstanding | Engine | Truck
- Outstanding | Engine | Restored
- Outstanding | Engine | Bike
- Outstanding | Interior | Custom
- Outstanding | Interior | Street Machine Competition
- Outstanding | Interior | Rod
- Outstanding | Interior | Truck
- Outstanding | Interior | Restored
- Outstanding | Custom
- Outstanding | Sports/Sports Compact
- Outstanding | Full Radical Handbuilt Custom
- Outstanding | Truck
- Outstanding | Full Radical Handbuilt Truck
- Outstanding | Competition
- Outstanding | Street Rod
- Outstanding | Custom Rod
- Outstanding | Street Machine
- Outstanding | Restored
- Outstanding | Bike
- Best | Restored
- Best | Bike
- Best | Rod
- Best | Truck
- Best | Street Machine Competition
- Best | Custom
- Rising Star
- Outstanding Club Award
- Best Club Award
- Gold Star | Custom Convertible
- Gold Star | Luxury Limousine
- Gold Star | Custom Dune Buggy
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1949 – 1954
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1960 – 1969
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1970 – 1979
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1980 – 1989
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 1990 – 2002
- Gold Star | Conservative Hardtop | 2003 – 2023
- Gold Star | Conservative Sports | 1968 – 1982
- Gold Star | Conservative Sports | 1997 – 2017
- Gold Star | Conservative Sports | 2001 – 2020
- Gold Star | Radical Sports | 1968 – 1982
- Gold Star | Handbuilt Sports
- Gold Star | Exotic Sports
- Gold Star | Import/Tuner | Honda
- Gold Star | Import/Tuner | Nissan
- Gold Star | Import/Tuner | Foreign | Mild
- Gold Star | Compact Custom
- Gold Star | Euro Style Custom
- Gold Star | Euro Style Custom | Mild
- Gold Star | Conservative Pickup | 1957 – 1972
- Gold Star | Conservative Pickup | 1988 – 2005 Mini Truck
- Gold Star | Contemporary Pickup | 2003 – Current
- Gold Star | Utility Wagon
- Gold Star | Mini Utility Wagon
- Gold Star | 4X4 Utility Wagon
- Gold Star | 4X4 Pickup | Pre – 1988- Semi
- Gold Star | Mini 4X4 Pickup | 1988 – Current
- Gold Star | Lowrider Truck
- Gold Star | Lowrider Truck | Semi
- Gold Star | Compact Panel
- Gold Star | Conservative Van
- Gold Star | Semi Van
- Gold Star | Baja Coupe
- Gold Star | Super Street
- Gold Star | Track Comp Car
- Gold Star | Street Roadster
- Gold Star | Altered Street Roadster
- Gold Star | Custom Rod Coupe | 1935 – 1948
- Gold Star | Rat Rod Sedan
- Gold Star | Rat Rod Pickup
- Gold Star | Sport Bike
- Gold Star | 3-Wheeled Bike
- Gold Star | Scooters
- Gold Star | Restored | 1958 – 1967
- Gold Star | Restored | 1968 – 1972 Other
- Gold Star | Restored | 1985 – 1999
- Gold Star | Restored Convertible | 1949 – 1972
- Gold Star | Restored Pickup | 1973 – 2003
- Gold Star | Altered Restored | 1949 – 1972
- Gold Star | Foreign Sports
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports | Early | 1949 – 1962
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports | 1968 – 1984
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports | 1985 – 2012
- Gold Star | Golf Cart
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports | 2012 – 2023
- Gold Star | Military Truck
- Gold Star | Contemporary Sports | 2024 – Present
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports Convertible
- Gold Star | Low Rider Mini Truck Semi
- Gold Star | Low Rider Mini Truck Mild
- Gold Star | Contemporary Hardtop | 2024 – 2026
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports Convertible | 1985 – 2012
- Gold Star | 4X4 Utility Wagon Mild
- Gold Star | Conservative Sports Convertible | 2001 – 2020
- Gold Star | Conservative Sedan Late
- Gold Star | Domestic Sports Convertible | 1968 – 1984
- Gold Star | Restored | 2000 – 2023
- Gold Star | Donk Truck
- Gold Star | Donk Car
- Gold Star | Bagger
- Gold Star | Big Wheel
- Gold Star | Bus
- Gold Star | Contemporary Sports Convertible
- Gold Star | Conservative Pickup Mini
- Special Interest | Non-Motorized
- Mini Bike
- Custom Convertible | 1949 – 2023
- Custom Convertible | Mild
- Radical Custom Convertible
- Conservative Hardtop | 1960 – 1969
- Conservative Hardtop | 1970 – 1979
- Conservative Hardtop | 2000 – 2023
- Contemporary Custom | 2024 – Current
- Mild Hardtop
- Radical Hardtop
- Mild Lowrider Custom
- Conservative Sports | 1983 – 1996
- Conservative Sports | 1997 – 2023
- Contemporary Sports | 2024 – Current
- Mild Sports
- Radical Sports
- Exotic Sports
- Tuner
- Mild Compact Custom
- Conservative Pickup | 1973 – 1987
- Mild Pickup
- Semi Pickup
- Full Pickup
- Radical Pickup
- Custom Pickup
- 4X4 Utility Wagon
- Mini 4X4 Utility Wagon
- 4X4 Pickup | 1988 – Current
- Full Mini Pickup
- Street Machine Custom | 1949 – 1964
- Street Machine Custom | 1965 – 1979
- Pro Touring | 1949 – Current
- Pro Street Custom | 1949 – 1964
- Pro Street Truck | 1980 – Current
- Import Bracket Racer
- Domestic Bracket Racer
- Super Street
- Super Gas
- Funny Car
- Track Comp Car
- Nostalgia
- Street Sedan | Pre – 1935
- Altered Street Sedan | Pre – 1935
- Altered Street Roadster | Pre – 1935
- Altered T-Roadster
- Altered T-Roadster Pickup
- Rod Pickup | Pre – 1935
- Custom Rod Sedan | 1935 – 1948
- Radical Custom Rod Pickup | 1935 – 1946
- Pro Street Custom Rod | 1935 – 1948
- Traditional Rod Sedan
- Nostalgia Chopper
- Chopper
- 3-Wheeled Bike
- North American Manufactured
- North American Custom
- Big Wheel Bike
- Restored | 1949 – 1957
- Restored | 1968 – 1972
- Restored | 1985 – 1992
- Foreign Sports
- Vintage Race Car