This year’s Mothers Shine Award, awarded at the recent SEMA show, was issued to a rare 1939 Oldsmobile Series 60 convertible. Mothers - opens in new window or tab., a leading line of polishes, waxes, and cleaners, started the award in 2001, to recognize attention to detail. What makes the award so cool is that virtually any car at SEMA—regardless of where it’s parked, who built it, or who sponsored it—can take top honors. In the past, awards have been issued to a car parked entirely outside the display area or even one in the booth of a competing car care product, like Meguiar's - opens in new window or tab..
This year’s winner, named “Olds Cool,” is an awesome build with a modified Oldsmobile V-8 power plant bored out to 470 cubic inches, producing 650 horsepower. It’s mated to a Bowler 4L60E automatic transmission. Billy and Debbie Thomas, the owners from Corpus Christi, stumbled upon the Olds in a newspaper ad— and purchased the rare Series 60 from the original owner.
It was rebuilt over a three-year period by Customs and Hot Rods of Andice, located about 40 miles north of Austin, Tex. The company’s in-house stylist, Christian Dotson, created the entire design of the Olds in foam. Each panel was painstakingly reshaped, including the profile, stance, wheelbase, bumpers, hood, and cut lines. The wheelbase was stretched by three inches and the doors and hood were lengthened to match. The exterior took on a Kona Brown paint, custom-mixed by PPG.
The Judge's Job
Richard and Paige Udell, who won the Mothers Shine Award in 2004, started judging the following year. Richard told us that it’s the only competition that is “apolitical.” In other words, it’s not concerned with personalities, the products used, or the builder's reputations. “That's what makes it so prestigious,” he said.
Of course, the wide-open nature of the competition creates more work for the judges. This year, nine judges, including two from Australia, started roaming the massive grounds of the Las Vegas Convention Center even before the show officially opened, searching high and low for true standouts. The judges consider four major areas: interior, exterior, engine bay, and chassis. They are looking at overall appearance, fit and finish, attention to detail, integration of custom and stock elements, creative vision and execution of concept.
It took the Udells two and a half days to judge the entire field. Two of the nights ran until 1 am, before the judges finally ran out of gas. In the end, the panel compares notes and then winnows the field down to 10 finalists. “The cars should speak for themselves,” said Richard.
After studying nearly 1,600 vehicles, the judges awarded the bronze towel trophy to the 1939 Oldsmobile at the PPG paint booth. Although the winner had previously won a Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama, past recognition is not considered. Again, it’s all about giving recognition to great achievement wherever it’s found. That should give encouragement to all you builders out there: your creativity, expertise, and talent can be recognized—regardless of whether or not you have sponsorship or past honors.
The winning car, as per tradition, will be on display at the Mothers booth at next year’s SEMA.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.