THERE is no denying that the Meguiars Detroit Autorama Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts is one of the ultimate elite-level car shows on earth, with few custom car shows getting close to matching the quality of builds on display every year.

This is top level stuff. Cars can take over 10 years to build for their reveals, and in that time the contestants are not allowed to give away anything – no previews, no build photos, nothing.

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The winner of the top gong this year was a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, converted into a custom phantom-style wagon. The Brougham in its own right is a rare car, it was somewhat of a factory custom to begin with, and just 99 examples were built with influence from legendary Italian designer Pininfarina.

The gorgeous piece of automotive art was built by Jordan Quintal II and the magicians at SuperRides By Jordan. The car dubbed Cadmad was something that owner Steve Barton had envisioned for a long time, but he passed away before the car was completed and never got to see it in all its glory.

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Jason and his crew from SuperRides in California made sure they finished off the car right, and Steve’s brother Craig debuted the car at Autorama in Las Vegas. The car was a dream that has been 16 years in the making for the late Steve Barton, so you can only begin to imagine the reception it got when it took home the coveted Don Ridler Memorial Award for the win.