Photo courtesy of Show Cars Automotive, Inc. A 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door station wagon owned, built, and entered by Brad, Brady, and Cory Ranweiler of Show Cars Automotive Inc. of New Ulm has won a number of prestigious awards recently. The car is now among five finalists for the 2021 Barrett-Jackson Cup Ultimate Best In Show award in Scottsdale, Az. Online voting continues until the winner is chosen at 2 p.m. CST March 27.

SCOTTSDALE, Az. — Brad, Brady, and Cory Ranweiler’s 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air station wagon has reached the final five of the 2021 Barrett-Jackson Cup custom car and truck competition this week.

The show began with 50 of some of the best custom car and truck builders of America, including the Ranweilers of New Ulm, selected to compete.

Judges from leading automotive manufacturers plus Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson and President Steve Davis narrowed the field to five finalists — the Ranweiler’s custom wagon, a 1932 Ford Tudor, 1970 Dodge Challenger, a 1970 Ford F-100 pickup, and a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe.

“They select the winner by online voting, so it’s a battle to reach out to as many people as you can and hope you have enough,” said Brad Ranweiler. “You can vote once daily, from what we understand. The winner will be announced at 2 p.m. Central Time, Saturday, March 27.”

Widely regarded as a barometer of the collector car business, Barrett-Jackson auctions grew over the years into world-class automotive lifestyle events where thousands of the world’s most sought-after, unique, and valuable automobiles cross the auction block in front of a global audience, in person and on live national and international television.

For the Ranweilers, who own Show Cars Automotive Inc. of New Ulm, winning the Barrett-Jackson Cup Ultimate Best in Show title would mean seven straight show championships for their 1963 Chevy wagon. Over the past 13 months, the customized car won the Detroit Autorama Don Ridler Memorial Award, plus titles at the Chicago World of Wheels, Des Moines Good Guys Heartland National, Birmingham World of Wheels, Dallas Autorama, and a west coast show.

“It’s exciting and overwhelming all together,” said Brady Ranweiler. “You put all your effort and best foot forward and hope to have it.”

Ranweiler said the Chevy wagon was found on South Dakota farm about 15 years ago. It sat in storage a few years before Show Cars Automotive began building it. The car is powered by a ’63 cast-iron 405 cubic inch engine bored and stroked to 509 cubic inches, with Hilborn fuel injection, custom headers and a TCI 4L80E automatic transmission.

Other features include a 1959 Chevy dashboard, custom cowl, inner fenders, wheel tubs, sail panels, rear gate, channeled bespoke frame, and a hand-built interior crafted by M&M Hot Rod.

“Everybody asks me why we are not selling the car. We never built the car just to sell it,” Brad said. “We’re not saying we wouldn’t sell, but we’re not to that point. We have corporate build partners that helped us put it together. We agreed to be in shows with it.”

Brad said he enjoys going to shows, even though it involves a lot of time and there are other exciting things for him to do.

“I’ve got two grandsons wrestling and playing baseball,” Brad explained. “Cole is wrestling in the Minnesota State High School Wrestling Tournament this week. Hunter is playing baseball at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

“There are things I’d rather do, but they conflict. You have to make a decision,” said Brad.

To view and vote for the Ranweiler’s custom Chevy wagon in the show, visit www.barrettjacksoncup.com on Google and the event comes to the top. Click in view entry under the 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon. You can vote daily in the upper right corner.