“Elegant Lady,” a ’56 Chevy Bel Air Convertible, Wins 2026 Ridler Award “Elegant Lady,” a thousand-horsepower, Café au lait-colored custom 1956 Chevrolet convertible owned by Rex and Rhonda Satterfield of Russellville, Tennessee, advanced from the Great 8 to win the Detroit Autorama’s 2026 Ridler Award. We spoke with Rex just after he checked on award sponsor Barry Meguiar, who had tripped over the Chevy’s display barriers and hit his head after presenting the Satterfields with a giant check. Some things are more important than winning. We hope Barry is okay. Satterfield, who runs a trucking company, said, “It ain’t sunk in yet,” when asked what winning the Ridler meant to him. He said that he had called his best friend, who said, “All right!” The Chevy was the result of an eight-year build. “It’s been a while,” said Satterfield. He said that the first thing he would do when he gets back to Russellville would be, “Relax! Relax!” The car will likely remain a display car and not be driven. “It’s in too good of shape to drive it.” We also spoke to Kevin Riffey, proprietor of Riffey’s Hot Rods in Knoxville, Tennessee, who completed the project after Jeff Wolfenbarger at Kool Kolors had sadly passed away after having done much of the bodywork and paint. The finished car was dedicated to Wolfenbarger’s memory. As with the owner, we asked the builder what winning the Ridler means to him. Modestly, he gave much of the credit to Satterfield. “I can’t put it into words. Personally, I’ve had two other Great 8 cars with previous owners, and he has taught me more things than I could ever imagine. I guess the third time is the charm.” Riffey was on the edge of tears. “I’m there,” he said, “I’m holding back.” He hadn’t called anyone yet, but said that the first call would be to his wife and kids. Riffey added, “My dad passed away thirteen years ago. My dad would be ecstatic if he were here.” Concerning the business of building high-end customs, Riffey said that most of his customers’ builds are pretty incredible but not Ridler-level, and he’s hopeful that this win will persuade some of them to pursue the trophy. Riffey volunteered his philosophy, “My goal, if I’m building a car, I want to make subtle modifications that you have to stand there and study the car to see those when it’s finished. And the modifications we made are classic modifications.”