"Gold Digger," a 1933 Ford Phaeton sporting a gold PPG finish, was named the winner of this year's Ridler Award at the 58th Detroit Autorama in Cobo Hall. The car is owned by Tammy Ray of Dahlonega, Ga., making her the first woman to win the coveted award.
This was her second entry in the Ridler Award contest. In 2006, she made the cut and reached the “Great Eight” Ridler finalist competition, but missed the big prize. This time her entry was a success.
"I picked PPG paint because the builder said he likes to use it for the ease of mixing the colors to get what I want," she said.
Gold Digger was built by Ted Thomas of T & T Customs, in Canton, GA. Thomas and his crew selected PPG’s Vibrance Collection coatings to give the car its glowing look. The shop then applied its own twist to the Vibrance Collection yellows and Crystal Pearl coatings to create the car’s distinctly radiant gold luster.
"We've been using PPG products for almost 20 years," said Thomas. "I knew I could get the custom finish Tammy wanted with the Vibrance Collection. It's real user-friendly and gave us the rich color the car deserved."
In addition to its show-stopping exterior, Gold Digger’s custom-built features include a fully independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, inboard disc brakes, brightwork and a digital dash.
Established in 1964, the Ridler Award, officially known as the Don Ridler Memorial Award, was named after the man who turned the Detroit Autorama into a premier custom car show. The award is regarded for its recognition of custom design excellence and is presented annually at the Detroit Autorama.
