Photography by Tim Suddard
Since 1974, the Millers and their team have been building the Carlisle fairgrounds into a mecca for car people, now offering eight shows a year that range from general antiques to marque-specific events for Ford, Corvette, Mopar and others.
Various iterations of the Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals have been part of that lineup since 1986. The event originally showcased older foreign cars with a second show added for newer imports like Subarus and Hondas.
Today, the events are combined into a true automotive festival for anything import. From a 1935 BMW Roadster to an all-new Morgan, nearly 100 years of automotive history was on display May 16-17 at Carlisle Fairgrounds in southeastern Pennsylvania.
While the swap meet has held its own, and perhaps even increased in attendance over the last few years, the car show side of the event has exploded over the last decade.
After a brief shower Friday morning, participants were greeted to warm weather on Friday and clear, perfect late-spring weather on Saturday. The crowds responded and there were lines to get in at every gate.
While we have not yet received accurate figures for attendance, from atop the hill that overlooks everything, we’d say at least 20,000 people and more than 2000 cars. This event tends to focus on clubs, too, with the field attracting all of the biggies in the Northeast–Rolls-Royce, Meyers Manx, Opel, Audi, Citroën, Renault, Porsche, BMW, Audi and more. The event also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Triumph TR7. This is one of the few events where you can see lowered Z-cars, Skylines and also early Citroëns.
We’ve seen this happen with many events: Success breeds greed and prices creep up. Not at Carlisle, as everything from the vendor spots to sponsorship to entry fees and even the excellent food available on site has been kept reasonable throughout the years.
This access has driven young people to the event, too, with the weekend now offering autocross to Power Wheels drag racing for the kids.
Look for us there next year: May 15-16, 2026.
Having just gotten back into the British sports car scene, this was my first trip to the Carlisle Import show. I probably missed the bigger crowds by going Friday afternoon, but enjoyed it very much none the less. The high point for me was stopping by the Classic Motorsports tent and meeting Tim. Thanks for spending time with me to talk about your Bugeye restoration, Tim. I'll definately take your advice while I'm working on getting mine back on the road!
Butch
In reply to ButchH :
Glad you had fun, and thanks for stopping by the booth.
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