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.