By Ron Covell

ne of the highest honors in the indoor car show circuit is being named America’s Most Beautiful Roadster at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona. In the show’s 72-year history this is only the second time this prestigious award has been given to a Chevy (non-Ford), but once you see the details of this spectacular car you’ll understand why it is very deserving of the honor.

Jeff Breault commissioned Devlin Rod and Customs to build his ’34 Chevy roadster “Lucille,” which was a multi-year project. While the allover appearance is of understated elegance, Tim Devlin and his dedicated crew put an inordinate amount of time into refining every detail and bringing them together into a tightly orchestrated final product. Designer Eric Black was brought on early in the process, and his drawings set the tone for the entire build.

Chevrolet made very few roadsters in 1934, so finding a good car to start with was the first obstacle. With patient dedication, Breault found a donor car in decent condition. One of the first major decisions was to have Roadster Shop custom build a chassis; they did a spectacular job. Knowing the car would be fenderless and channeled, they built framerails to match the curvature of the body while kicking up enough in the rear to accommodate full suspension travel at the desired ride height.

There are some notable parts of the chassis build, and one that most people see right away is the custom-fabricated independent front suspension. The design features uniquely ribbed outlines and pockets on each of the control arms. The coilover suspension units are mounted horizontally, carefully fitted inboard of the framerails and operated by a pushrod and bellcrank. This gives the front of the car an exceptionally clean look—similar in function to Formula 1 cars but with styling appropriate for a modernized ’30s vehicle. The brake discs run behind a beautifully machined component that resembles a backing plate with a scoop on the front edge. The caliper is tucked in at the rear edge, nearly out of sight.

The design of the crossmembers on this chassis is unlike any we have seen, with curves and angles that lead into the gorgeous, complex floorpan built for the body.

The body modifications are extensive, with virtually no panel left untouched, yet the allover appearance retains the core styling of a ’34 Chevrolet but with more grace and elegance. Countless hours were lavished on unique details like the hood hinges, custom DuVall-style windshield frame, hideaway convertible top, and the gorgeous upswept tail pan, which allows a peek at the Winters quick-change rearend. The hood is lengthened, but it retains the original side vents with custom-made trim. The grille shell is chopped, raked, recontoured, and extended. The doors are lengthened, and a special hinged panel was constructed to conceal the convertible top when it is retracted.

The Chevrolet LS3 engine is heavily detailed, too, with Alan Johnson–built injector stacks. These have the traditional Hilborn-style look but incorporate hidden electronic injectors. Johnson also made a special set of valve covers with more traditional styling. The exhaust headers were custom fabricated, but they have the fully rounded look of a detailed casting.

There is more incredible work than we have space to cover, but look through the photos and you’ll gain a new appreciation for what it took to do the body modifications on this stunning roadster.

3. The chassis was built by Roadster Shop, featuring a completely original design for the independent front suspension, utilizing pushrods and bellcranks to operate the longitudinal coilover suspension units mounted inboard of the framerails.

4. This is an early fitting of the body to the frame. Since the roadster body is channeled, the entire floor was removed.

6. The motor mounts were fabricated in a style that matches the front control arms. The coilover suspension units are just barely visible below the mounts.

8. This is the start of the inner structure at the rear of the body. The intricate contours will match the chassis precisely.

10. The rear portion of the body was completely reconstructed. The wheelwell openings were sized to work with the tires. Note the layout for the OEM-style beads that will be placed on the inner wheelwell panels.

13. The hidden door hinges are completely custom fabricated. Note the progression from the early version on the left to the graceful, finished versions.

16. The custom doorskin is being test-fitted here. On the cowl, note the new metal featuring twin curved beads, adding strength and style.

18. Before final assembly of the door, a small panel with a reinforced X bead was added to the inner structure, giving it additional strength.

20. Here’s a closeup showing the knob that extends through the firewall allowing the hood latches to be operated from inside the car. No CNC here–all the shapes were hand-fabricated in the traditional way.

22. The new hood top is started here. The allover shape was made in two pieces, with a welded seam down the center. The side beads will be added later.

24. The new hood side is trial fitted.

26. This is a great view, showing how the lines of the body converge toward the front. The windshield frame was machined from aluminum billet, then carefully hand-massaged to get the proper fit and contour.

28. With body panels primered, you can appreciate the care spent finessing the gaps.

30. The gaps on the underside were given just as much attention as those on the top.

33. Looking inside the hood top you can see how beautifully the seams have been finished, and how the sculpted aluminum braces fit snugly against the transverse reinforcements.