An immaculate 1939 Oldsmobile convertible sporting a custom-mixed metallic PPG ENVIROBASE® High Performance finish by renowned painter Charley Hutton won the 53rd annual Ridler Award at the recent 2016 Detroit Autorama held at Cobo Hall on the city’s waterfront.
Appropriately nicknamed "Olds Cool," the gleaming custom build is owned by Bill and Debbie Thomas of Georgetown, Texas. The car was meticulously constructed over four years by Harold Chapman and his team of talented craftsmen at Customs & Hot Rods of Andice, also in Gerogetown.
In this case, the car’s custom color, Kona Brown, was personally created by Hutton. He used PPG Envirobase High Performance waterborne products and the GLOBAL REFINISH SYSTEM™ brand D8152 Performance + Glamour Clearcoat to give Olds Cool its unique finish, ensuring that this car would stand apart from the competition.Hutton, regarded as one of the most accomplished and gifted painters in the custom car world, uses PPG Automotive Refinish products exclusively. He painted Olds Cool at his shop, Charley Hutton’s Color Studio, in Nampa, Idaho. Hutton is well-known for his uncanny ability to select and mix just the right colors to match a car’s style and character, giving it a distinctive look worthy of award-winning recognition.
“Winning the Ridler is a special honor,” said Hutton. “I always appreciate the opportunity to work with highly skilled craftsmen that have such passion and drive. God blesses everyone with different talents, and the best part is working together to help build someone’s dream. The Olds is beautiful, and the key to our success has been working with PPG’s Envirobase High Performance waterborne basecoat. Using Envirobase High Performance products made it possible to create the exact finish we wanted. When mixing a custom color, Envirobase High Performance paint always exceeds my expectations; the colors that we’re able to achieve are so clean and brilliant.”
Hutton gained a national reputation with featured appearances on Hot Rod TV, TLC’s Overhaulin’ and the Discovery Channel’s American Hot Rod. His 2016 Ridler Award gives him a significant credential to add to his already remarkable resume that includes the Barrett-Jackson Cup along with several Street Rod of the Year, Custom Rod of the Year and America’s Most Beautiful Roadster awards and many other top prizes.
The Ridler Award is officially known as the Don Ridler Memorial Award. It was established in 1964, named after the man who made the Detroit Autorama the nation’s premier custom car show. To qualify for the award, a car must debut at the Detroit Autorama. Entries are judged on creativity, engineering and workmanship. From the initial field of competitors, eight cars—known as the “Great Eight”—are chosen as finalists. The winner is selected from this elite group. The owner of the winning car receives a cash award and a special embroidered jacket along with the greater prize of the coveted Ridler Award trophy representing the ultimate in custom design brilliance.
For more information about Envirobase High Performance products, the Global Refinish System lineup and other PPG Automotive Refinish offerings, call (800) 647-6050 or visit www.ppgrefinish.com.
