The fairgrounds at Carlisle have hosted automotive get-togethers for what seems like forever. 80-something acres of show field with marked-off parking means that you can pack in the crowds. And with everything so nicely organized, all you have to do is make a map and send folks on their way. No wonder that everyone who ever told me to hit the Chrysler Carlisle Nationals was so passionate about it…they were right! Despite the threat of thunderstorms, despite heat and humidity that would leave the devil himself complaining, the crowds showed up and so did the cars. Officially, this year was the largest Chrysler event at Carlisle, with a registered 3,156 vehicles on the property, a new record.

Being a Mopar show, it makes sense that you would see a field full of the usual suspects. Darts, ‘Cudas, wing cars, modern muscle…there was plenty of that to check out. But it was the other stuff that you might not have expected to see that was cool, like the Dodge Defender show car from the TV show Viper, or the early 1990s Chrysler LeBaron sedan that featured a full powertrain swap from a Dodge Spirit R/T and a slightly bigger turbocharger on top for a potent sleeper. There were quite a few Australian-sourced Mopars on the property, including a Hemi-6 powered Valiant Pacer and a Savoy ute, and the 1970s and 1980s were covered between the Malaise Era gathering and the mass arrival of turbocharged pocket rockets like Omnis, front-drive Chargers, and Daytonas.