Everyone who participates is a winner. That's a phrase often used to encourage youngsters in sports leagues--a way to bolster self-esteem and focus attention on the activity, rather than the end result. Unfortunately, as we grow older and more jaded, we often hear those words with a cynical ear. Not everyone can win, we think to ourselves; someone is always going to lose. Our world-weary perspective seems especially true in the competitive arena of indoor car shows.

The Fresno Autorama, in Fresno, California, is different, though. Unlike other shows, where entering your car is mostly a matter of paying your money and filling out an entry form, the rods and customs at this event are hand-selected. That's right, in order to find yourself and your car on the Fresno Convention Center show floor in March, you have to receive a personal invitation from The Man himself--Blackie Gejeian. This is unique in the world of indoor car shows. Considering Blackie's stature in the business, not to mention his sharp eye for cool cars, it also means you'll only find winning, A-list creations at the Fresno Autorama. To borrow a cliche, this show is all killer, no filler.

For this year's 46th showing of the Autorama, Blackie personally invited more than 160 cars and 30 motorcycles from across the country. An invitation from Blackie generally means he has already seen your car at another show, and chances are you were one of the top dogs there. Every entry is treated as a winner, too. Each vehicle is placed on the floor in a manner that creates variety (make, model, color, and build style) down each row and throughout the entire show. Additionally, Blackie is known for awarding the largest trophies of the indoor season. Everyone is recognized, brought on stage, and acknowledged, and Blackie (again) awards you personally with your own piece of immortality--your own trophy. The rank-and-file trophies measure 48 inches--that's 4 feet--in height.

Even among all these winners, however, there are cars that rise just a bit above the pack. The Fresno Autorama recognizes them with two awards of significance: Best Rod and Best Custom. Not surprisingly, this year's Best Rod went to Ken Reister's '36 Ford roadster, the Ridler award-winning car designed and built by Chip Foose. Best Custom was awarded to Gary "Chop-It" Fioto for his absolutely wild bubbletop creation based on a '55 Ford. Also honored this year was George Barris as Builder of the Year.

To say that everyone at the Fresno Autorama goes home a winner is a bit misleading; it's more accurate to declare everyone who even shows up a winner. Take a look at this collection of photos to see what we mean. Regular Custom Rodder readers may recognize many of these cars from previous event coverage, but you'll probably agree that most are worth a second look. After all, that's what Blackie thinks!