SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A 1970 Dodge Challenger built in Australia won the 2021 Barrett-Jackson Cup Ultimate Best in Show award March 27.

The Challenger is powered by a 572ci (9.4 liter) big-block hemi engine capable of producing 2,000 horsepower.

Custom vehicle enthusiasts cast more than 25,000 votes on the BarrettJacksonCup.com website last week, resulting an a $10,000 cash prize and trophy going to the Dodge. The car is owned by Robert Zahabi of Queensland, Australia and was built by Rides by Kam of Queensland.

Five finalists including a 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon owned by Brad, Brady, and Cory Ranweiler of Show Cars Automotive Inc., New Ulm.

Other finalists named from an earlier field of 50 vehicles in the competition included a 1932 Ford Tudor, 1970 Ford F-100 pickup truck, and a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air coupe.

“Congratulations to every builder who was a part of this year’s Barrett-Jackson Cup,” said Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction President Craig Jackson.

“Each vehicle in this year’s elite competition raised the bar for custom automotive design and engineering,” added Jackson. “The ability of these craftsmen to shape their vision into reality and connect with so many enthusiasts is truly unprecedented. That popularity was evident by the record number of fans around the world who cast votes daily for their top choice.”

Over the past 13 months, the Ranweiler’s customized 1963 Chevy wagon won a number of show championships include the Detroit Autorama Don Ridler Memorial Award plus titles at the Chicago and Birmingham World of Wheels, Dallas Autorama, Des Moines Good Guys Heartland Nationals and a Los Angeles show.

The Chevy wagon was found on a South Dakota farm about 15 years ago. The car was in storage for several years before Show Cars Automotive began rebuilding it.

The wagon has a 405 cubic inch engine bored and stroked to 509 cubic inches, Hilborn fuel injection, custom headers, a TCI 4L80E automatic transmission, 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,” said Brad Ranweiler at the Arizona show. “We’re not saying we wouldn’t sell, but we’re not to that point.”

For more information, visit barrettjacksoncup.com.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.