The event is called "Fun Under the Sun," but the 24th Annual Association of Handcrafted Automobiles kit car show at Knott's Berry Farm, in Buena Park, California, didn't need sunshine to warm all the presenters and visitors. It is one HOT and friendly event.
 There was a definite foreign...  There was a definite foreign influence at this year's AHA Knott's Berry Farm kit car show. The F40 Motorsport S40 has Italian styling and is manufactured in New Zealand. |
 Also from the South Pacific...  Also from the South Pacific comes Herschel Byrd's Roaring '40s GT40, a product of Australia. Byrd's car flies with a 400hp Ford 302 powerplant. |
 The Backdraft Racing Cobra...  The Backdraft Racing Cobra replica is manufactured in South Africa and is powered by a 351 Windsor engine. |
 Original designs also made...  Original designs also made their presence felt at the show. Factory Five Racing's innovative Spyder GT, designed by John Clark, who is shown here with his sister Christina, won the KIT CAR Magazine Editor's Choice Award. |
 The all-new Banshee, by Louisell,...  The all-new Banshee, by Louisell, fits on a '93 Firebird Formula platform. Its Chevy LT1 engine can make this baby scream at 155 mph. |
 The original-design LS1 Mazda...  The original-design LS1 Mazda rebody by Diamond Motors debuted at the show. |
 Another new design, the Pit...  Another new design, the Pit Bull, by Top Gun sits on a stock Toyota MR2 frame. |
With nearly 220 cars on display, even the threat of rain couldn't keep the 12,000 visitors away from the awesome cars and hobbyists who graced the stage at this popular theme park.
Some 30 manufacturers showed off their cars, along with about 190 privately built and owned monuments to the kit and component car hobby.
Those who dodged the bullet of predicted rain saw about 65 Cobras but were also treated to a half-dozen new, original designs, as well as a plethora of Lamborghinis, GT40s, Porsche Spyders, MGs, Mantas, Neo-classics, and kit rods. It was a cornucopia of car design.
I was impressed with the effort of out-of-country cars, as manufacturers based in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada shipped cars to the show and, in some cases, upstaged the homegrown US contingent.
I was equally impressed by the new designs that debuted at the show, including the exciting and sensual Spyder GT, created by John Clark for Factory Five Racing. That car was judged KIT CAR Magazine's Editor's Choice for Car of the Show for its innovative and new-classic look. Also new on the design scene were legendary dune buggy designer Bruce Meyers' Manxter, Louisell's Firebird-based Banshee, Top Gun's Toyota-based Pit Bull, Diamond Motors' LS1 Mazda rebody, and the New Zealand-headquartered F-40 Motorsport's S40 Silhouette.
Among the award-winners at the show were Best of Show, Rich Anderson's teal Shell Valley Cobra; Spectator's Choice, Allen Motors' red MG-TC; Ladies' Choice, Rae Savell's white Marlene; Best Paint, Tim Bontis' purple Shell Valley Cobra; Best Engine, Jason Young's Porsche Spyder; Best Interior, Anko Hsaio's yellow IFG Lamborghini Diablo; Special Care Award, Wayne McAllister's Monster Miata; Most Unique, Gary O'Conner's Woodster; President's Choice, Henry Caroselli's black-and-red Rodster Delivery; Vice President's Choice, Kenny Graves' '34 red with yellow flames Ford Roadster; Secretary's Choice, Richard Marlow's red Ultima; Treasurer's Choice, Tom Edwards' black Scorpion Z-car; Activity Director's Choice, Bruce Meyers' red Manxster; Newsletter Editor's Choice, Mike Bennett's maroon Manta; Membership Director's Choice, Diamond Industries' green Miata of James Tankersley; Past President's Choice, Bill Deneff's yellow Devon Roadster; and the Best Manufacturer's Practice Award this year went to Rich Anderson, of the Shell Valley Companies.
AHA awards are given in 30 classes to the three top cars or individuals in each class. Some of those top choices included: Ken Curtiss' MG, Steve Stuhlsatz' Lotus 7, Ed Shipp's Regal T-Bird, Herschel Byrd's Roaring '40s G40, Rae Savell's Marlene, Dale Bates' Porsche Speedster, J.C. Hamlin's Shelby Custom Exotics' Lamborghini Diablo, Mike Dresbach's Dino, J.C. Hamlin's F-50, Gary O'Conner's Woodster, Lynn Christy's VW Dune Buggy, Kenny Graves' '34 Ford Roadster, David Bendix's Unique 289 Cobra replica, Jack Hammond's Factory Five Cobra replica, Dave Martin's NAF Cobra, Bill Deneff's Devin Roadster, Vern Hance's Mercedes 500K, Dave Childress' Dragon Motor Cars Ruby Red Dragon, Richard Marlow's Ultima Motor Cars Ultima, Bob Kersky's JPS Motor Sports Porsche Speedster, Luis Yonez's Wild Rides Lamborghini Diablo, Steve Cox's F-40 Motorsport S40 Silhouette, Rich Anderson's Shell Valley Cobra, Rich Anderson's Shell Valley Cheetah, Marty Jakalot's Pisa Jalapeno, and Rich Anderson's Shell Valley Model-A Ford Highboy.
The '04 event, the Quarter-Century Show, will be bigger and better than ever. With tentative dates set for April 24-25, it should be as exciting as this year's event. For more information, contact Ron Biggerstaff, Association of Handcrafted Automobiles (AHA), 26544 Tannager Court, Dept. KC, Loma Linda, CA 92354, (909) 796-9946, www.replicarclub.com. KC
 A legend and his new design...  A legend and his new design graced the field at Knott's, as Bruce Meyers, creator of the Meyers Manx, showed off his new Manxter buggy, sitting on a traditional VW frame, powered by a 2,500cc VW engine. |  California Advanced Vehicles...  California Advanced Vehicles (CAV) added this GT Spyder (same name, but different design and origin from the FFR car) to its line of exciting GT40s. This version is somewhat of a convertible GT40. |  Anko Hsaio's yellow IFG Phantom...  Anko Hsaio's yellow IFG Phantom 6.0 Lamborghini Diablo was one of the bevy of exotics in attendance. Lambos always show well at the AHA event. |
 Ron Steele's Pisa Scorpion...  Ron Steele's Pisa Scorpion is Fiero-based and is a fit in the desert and the city. Its Scorpion decal on the hood is a nice touch. |  Superformance is ahead of...  Superformance is ahead of the curve with its S-1. As Lotus derivatives are gaining fans and prestige in America, Superformance has been putting this beauty out for four years. |  A frequent visitor to the...  A frequent visitor to the pages of KIT CAR is this Dragon Motors Dragon. This Ruby Red speed demon headed to the Carlisle show, before being fine-tuned to compete at Run and Gun. |
 Rodster Street Rods, dba Caroselli...  Rodster Street Rods, dba Caroselli Designs, presented this Chevy S-10-based sedan delivery and is working on a pickup truck version, in addition to its original-design Rodster. |  Shell Valley made a splash...  Shell Valley made a splash at Knott's by winning seven awards, including AHA Car of the Show, with its teal Cobra, and the Best Manufacturer's Practice Award. Here, they show off three of their cars, their Cheetah, 427 Cobra replica, and '30s Model A Ford--excitement times three. |  The Monster Miata is not a...  The Monster Miata is not a Cobra, but a rebody of a Mazda Miata. Its 302 Ford powerplant sure makes it RUN like a Snake. |
 Richard Marlow's red Ultima...  Richard Marlow's red Ultima was probably the fastest car at the event. Street-legal, it can go 220 mph. It is now offered as a roller to American enthusiasts. |  Shelby Custom Exotics is no...  Shelby Custom Exotics is no relation to Shelby American, and J.C. Hamlin's Shelby Custom's Diablo Millennium roadster certainly exhibits exotic traits. | |
Editor's Choice Award Winners at Knott'sPresented by KIT CAR Editor Mike Blake to deserving, outstanding cars and builders, who display their automotive excellence at the AHA Knott's Berry Farm Show.
2003: John Clark, engineer and designer of the original-design Factory Five Spyder GT.
2002: Gary and Terry O'Connors' '23 Track-T Roadster made out of the wooden slats of Gary's fence.
2001: Scott Allen's Mullen M-11 original-design sports car.
2000: Bill Cahill's '39 Morgan, made out of the wooden skins from his house doors.
1999: Rick Hansen's Master Street Rods '39 Studebaker Coupe Express truck.