But there was a lot to see and do outside the booths, buildings, and tents. The swap meet area, though a bit muddy from the evening rain, allowed the hardcore car guys-the ones who could identify any sort of widget made with unobtainium during one month of production 50 years ago-a place to rummage, swap, sell, buy, and generally move parts between each other's garages! You swear you could build an entire Bugeye Sprite just from the parts from just eight different swap spaces! Scale model cars were also prevalent, as were hardback books. In fact, if you wanted any kind of book on any type of car-related subject to build that part of your library, chances are good you'd find it at the Carlisle swap meet.
Over in front of the grandstand, the Bradley GT owners club was busy building a virgin (never bolted together) GT2 kit from 25 years ago. They had brought in a suitable '70 donor Bug, blew it off the pan, opened up dozens of parts boxes, then proceeded to screw all the pieces together before the curious eyes of onlookers. By Sunday, just before the awards were handed out, they accomplished what they had set out to do by starting and driving the GT before the cheering crowd.
One of the highlights of the awards presentation was when Carlisle Events personnel drew a name and announced who had won a restored '63 VW sedan (the group gives away a complete, running car at each of their events). Thomas Kirchner, of York, Pennsylvania, a current Miata owner and at the show to check out the imports and kits, is now an affirmed Volkswagen fanatic as he drove away in his new ride.
Many car clubs attend this event, too, bringing in dozens of cars and enthusiasts alike. But no one could touch the Saab owners club, which brought 167 cars to the show and won the show's Club Challenge! There is always a good representation of Cobras in Carlisle, but this year Carlisle Events sponsored an East Coast Speedster Meet. A total of 44 Porsche speedsters attended this year (exceeding the number of speedsters, 37, at the west coast's Fun In The Sun show at Knott's Berry Farm in southern California the previous month), but the suntanned, left-based Porsche replicar owners brought out 13 550 Spyders compared to none at Carlisle, so it seems the highest number of Porsche kits goes to Cali, while the speedster mark goes to the right coast brethren.
At Carlisle, you get a lot of return on your small $6 entry fee (compare that to some of the $30 admission prices charged at other national car shows!) Founded more than 25 years ago by friends Chip Miller (who recently passed away) and Bill Miller, the Carlisle Events series of shows covers anything having to do with Fords, Chevys, Corvettes, imports, kits and replicars, Chryslers, GMs, trucks, motorcycles, and sport compacts. That just about covers everything in the automotive world, and that's what Carlisle does-it covers it all. For more info on their shows, visit www.carsatcarlisle.com.