With the fast and furious nature of a two-day car event, the 2023 Carlisle GM Nationals came and went in the blink of an eye. From the moment the gates opened at 7 a.m. on June 23 through the time the last awards were handed out late on June 24, nearly 1,000 show cars and thousands more guests, and vendors had an experience that will no doubt have them making plans for 2024.

This year’s Carlisle GM Nationals hosted a few shows within the show, a bevy of special/anniversary displays, unique and historic rides, and of course great vending partners within the automotive flea market and Manufacturers Midway. The shows within the show included the 15th offering of the Solid Lifter Showroom, 3rd Generation Camaro & Firebird Nationals, Novas at Carlisle, and Corvettes for Chip. Anniversary/themed displays focused on 40 Years of the Fiero, 30 Years of the 4th Gens, a 50th celebration of the Buick Regal, 120+ Years of Buick, and cars from the Malaise Era.

Within the 120+ Years of Buick display, guests could revel in decades of production, including a 90+-year-old 1932 Buick 57 courtesy of the AACA Museum, Inc. and some low mileage and rare option Buick Regals, while the Fiero celebration hosted a rare prototype four-seater, along with great examples of Pontiac’s popular two-seat sports car.  In the 3rd Generation Camaro & Firebird Nationals area, a massive tent and accompanying Building R gallery gave guests a nice trip down memory lane by way of both the cars and the memorabilia on display.  One of the 3rd Gen display cars was built stateside, but immediately exported to Germany and only recently returned to the states with its German military owner. 

For the 4th Gens, a gathering of well-preserved and performance-based Camaros and Firebirds drew the attention of those on the south side of Building T and shared tent space with the 3rd Gens near Building R.  This included one-off high-performance cars, including some Callaways, and some highly modified examples.  Adjacent to T were Building Y and the Solid Lifter Showroom. As always, Brian Henderson and his Supercar Workshop team hosted well-restored and maintained Yenkos, COPOs, Corvettes, and more.

A variety of activities kept guests entertained too. With no shortage of options, there were open autocross runs with the Cumberland Valley Corvette Club, performance parts showcase rides with UMI Performance, Nitrofest with Bruce Larson, pop-up parades, a rolling exhaust contest, plus rolling donuts and burnouts presented by Atturo Tires.

The competition winners weren’t the only ones heading home with awards, a select group of car owners earned Carlisle Elite honors Friday, while dozens more cars picked up celebrity-judged awards on Saturday. Hemmings Marketplace also honored the top three largest car clubs, while Carlisle Events staff picked the coolest club too.

While this year’s event has concluded, next year promises to reach head and shoulders above this most recent offering. Planned display themes include a big move by the Solid Lifter Showroom from Building Y to Building T (one year only) for the 16th offering of their popular Carlisle display.  This display hosts an entire feature gallery of COPOs Yenkos, and other High-Performance GM optioned cars of the Muscle Car Era, Cadillac is honored, a return of the 3rd Gen Nationals, and even more Nova Nationals excitement.  With discounted spectator admission tickets available and a 10% savings on the National Parts Depot Showfield, save the date, because the 2024 Carlisle GM Nationals return June 21-22 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds. Call 717-243-7855 or visit CarlisleEvents.com to learn more.

Guests of the 2023 Carlisle Chrysler Nationals can not only see the rides that drive their passion, but they can also experience it first-hand from the company that produces them too.  Just announced, Dodge returns to Carlisle with a great display planned for the Manufacturers Midway, PLUS they’ll put the wheels in motion to showcase the true power of Dodge with thrill rides on the Carlisle track.

This year’s Chrysler car show at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds is July 14-16 and when the gates open at 7 a.m., everyone who treks to Carlisle can experience the massive midway display from Dodge, plus enjoy their wildly popular thrill rides.  In addition, product experts from Dodge will be on hand to talk shop at their display; better-helping guests learn more about the brand.

Thrill Rides on the track are FREE for onsite guests who have visited the aforementioned midway showcase.  The rides are unlike anything most guests will have ever experienced and they’ll be piloted by a team of professional drivers.  This element of Dodge’s involvement has proven to be one of the most popular programs over the past ten years at Carlisle.  Riders must be at least 48’ tall and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Chrysler weekend topped the 3,000-show car mark for the first time ever last year and anticipates a similar turnout in 2023.  In fact, pre-registration numbers are trending higher than any total ever for Chrysler Nationals weekend.  Featured vehicle displays include those focused on the Malaise Era, high school Mopars, 50 Years of 1973 models, and even a general featured vehicle showcase, which highlights some of the best of the best within the hobby. 

There are also guests including Linda Vaughn, the Missile Group, Paul Rossi, Butch Leal, Dave Rea, Claudia - Miss Direct Connection 1984, the Ramchargers, Golden Commandos, Herb McCandless, and more.

Cars and guests aren’t the only draws, as the event hosts a massive automotive flea market.  This year’s automotive flea market footprint is sold out, meaning those looking for OEM or NOS parts and accessories should look no further than Carlisle because if it’s not here, it’s not anywhere.  The thousands of flea market spaces will host hundreds of vendors and millions of items, all for sale by the owner and direct to the consumer. 

In fact, the early bird gets the worm, with a Thursday, July 13 early bird shopping opportunity.  While admission and parking charges apply on the 13th and there is no car show or midway activities taking place, the setup day doubles as a chance for shoppers to browse the automotive flea market for the items they are looking for prior to the massive influx of guests for the event itself starting the 14^th.

Learn more about all that the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals has planned by calling 717-243-7855 or online at CarlisleEvents.com.  In addition, online registration for the Showfield is available through the end of the day on Sunday, July 9, with in-person registration available thereafter.  In addition, discounted spectator admission tickets are available online through the event’s conclusion on Sunday, July 16.

Passionate!  That one word and ten letters is the best way to describe and summarize those who attend and/or participate in the world’s largest all-Ford-themed car show; the Carlisle Ford Nationals.  The 2023 offering presented by eBay Motors (June 2-4) became the second-largest Ford Nationals ever and did so in more than one way.  Of course, the all-time Showfield mark was set in 2022, but this year’s total of 3,434 show cars, combined with a stellar vendor and spectator turnout means that since 2014, this was THE largest gathering of Ford lovers at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds. 

Now, why did all these blue oval lovers migrate to Carlisle?  Where does one begin?  Maybe it was the two-dozen new product walkarounds from industry experts being executed two and sometimes three times an hour, or the half a dozen or so new vehicle unveilings.  It could have also been the special guests, unique displays, competitions, parades, and of course parts shopping within the automotive flea market.  The reality is, it was all of that…and more.     

Friday, June 2 included a special one-day-only visit by two-time Formula Drift Champion and professional fun-haver Vaughn Gittin, Jr.  Vaughn and his RTR Vehicles team came to Carlisle to showcase their new fleet of vehicles, meet fans, sign autographs, and have some drifting fun on the Carlisle track.  In addition, another automotive giant, Steve Saleen, made Carlisle home for the weekend.  Steve and his team showcased a handful of Saleen customized rides, including the amazing S7 and an all-new SA-40 Mustang, including one that supports a charitable cause.  Steve was also part of a special Friday evening dinner and auction that benefited the Chip Miller Amyloidosis Foundation. 

2023 featured displays included the annual Ford Nationals Select in Building Y, plus a mix of Saleens, Lightnings, SVTs, the Coyote Den, Malaise Era cars, and more mixed between Building T and special display tents on the grounds.

Ford Performance was well represented by its team members, including the likes of Jim Owens, John Clor, Carl Widmann, and Arie Groneveld just to name a few.  Each had a little something to showcase to the masses.  For Owens, it was a trio of Mustangs, including the Dark Horse, the EcoBoost, and one with an all-new GT performance package.  Widmann and Groneveld had the honor of presenting for the first time at an enthusiast event, the Ranger Raptor truck, plus brought the F-150 Raptor, and Bronco Raptor with them too.  Meanwhile, Clor presented some talks on the SVT, while also honoring Venom Invasion, the event’s coolest club. 

Further love of Ford branded products came from Kyle Sargent of Ford Performance Racing Parts as well as Gary Patterson and Tracey Smith from Shelby American.  Sargent showcased a pair of 700+ HP F-150s, while the Shelby leadership not only introduced but also reopened production of the Shelby Dragonsnake with its former driver Bruce Larson, while also pulling the covers off a pair of Centennial Edition trucks on the Carlisle stage.  KTL Restorations also got in on the walk-around game, showcasing their award-winning 1970 Aruba Eliminator two different times as amazed showgoers looked on.

The wheels were in motion at Carlisle, not only from Gittin, Jr. drift exhibitions, but from rides via Gateway Mustang, the Real Street Shootout (autocross), a rolling exhaust contest, rolling burnouts and donuts presented by Atturo Tires, on-grounds parades, monster truck rides from the Virginia Giant, and the Ford Downtown Parade, Park and Party.

As the final hours of the 2023 event concluded, awards were posted and presented to those who were available to receive them, while others celebrated the success of the weekend with late-day photos and even some open autocross runs on the Carlisle track.   

While 2023 is a wrap, the Carlisle Ford Nationals 2024 is in the planning stages and taking place May 31-June 2.  Registration for it is now open and planned 2024 display themes include 60 Years of the Mustang, including a gallery of legendary and historically significant Mustangs, a Mustang production timeline, a Y-Block Reunion, 40 Years of the SVO, 50 Years of the Mustang II, and the annual Ford Nationals Select display.  For details on upcoming car events at Carlisle, advanced arrival information, or to check out the winner’s list and photos from Ford Nationals weekend, visit CarlisleEvents.com.