A young boy saw a Corvette spotlighted on the cover of a magazine, immediately fell in love with America’s sportscar and devoted his focus toward owning one – even before he could drive. That love for the automotive icon culminated in his creation of an event that became the largest Corvette show in the world, Corvettes at Carlisle, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary August 26-28 at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds.

Corvettes at Carlisle has attracted attendees worldwide and has earned praise from Chevrolet, car engineers, race drivers and auto enthusiasts for its diversity, excitement, attention to history and its sheer grandness, even gaining a name-drop on the Jimmy Kimmel Live TV show in December, 2018. The event started as a dream by Chip Miller, and it has been a family affair ever since, from attracting families who shared Miller’s love for Corvette, to his passing the baton to his son, Lance, after Chip Miller passed away in 2004.

Lance Miller shared his father’s history and the evolution of the event. He said his father discovered the Corvette while relaxing. Miller said, “My father was a young child sitting on the curb, and right near him was a Popular Mechanics magazine. The magazine had a Corvette on the cover. He fell in love with the artwork/car right then and there.”

Moving forward, Chip Miller became a dedicated “car guy” and he and his “car guy” friend, Bill Miller (no relation) founded Carlisle Events in 1974, to produce events for “car guys and girls just like them.” The enterprise began with a swap meet and car show called “Post War ’74”, on the Carlisle Fairgrounds. The runaway success of what became known as Fall Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet & Car Corral led to a similar Spring event in 1977. In short order, they became complete sellouts for vendor and car sale (or “car corral”) spaces.

By 1982, Chip Miller brought his dedication to Corvettes to the mix and started Corvettes at Carlisle as a stand-alone event. According to Lance Miller, “My father’s passion and love for Corvettes wasn’t just about the car, it was truly about the people. He loved his friends and most were involved in the Corvette hobby. When he decided to host Corvettes at Carlisle, his list of friends grew exponentially due to the size of the event. The show started off with just a few rows of Corvettes, with some vendors sprinkled in, and the event quickly became one of the largest Corvette-only events in the world.”

Chip Miller was enthralled by devotees and their interaction with the car. Lance Miller said, “My father enjoyed the people behind the wheel of their Corvettes more than anything. Bringing people together to enjoy what he loved so much wasn’t a job for him; it was something he really wanted to do because it allowed others to experience exactly what he loved so much – friendships. Many friendships were formed over the years because of each of our events, and Bill Miller and my father were all about those friendships and those people.”

According to Lance Miller, Chip Miller’s proudest moment each year was seeing all of his friends come to “his” Corvette party, as it became a true tradition for many. “My father’s goal of bringing like-minded individuals together became more and more of a success as years went on, and this success brought my father sincere joy each year,” said Lance Miller. “Today, Corvettes at Carlisle still generates new friendships each year, thanks largely to my father and Bill Miller, his partner and friend. That exemplifies true Corvette Camaraderie.”

After that first show in 1982, the event grew larger, more diversified and more sophisticated each year. In the beginning, the event focused on a showfield area where Corvettes were on display, a Corvette Corral where Corvettes were for sale, and as was true for all Carlisle Events, a large vendor area -- something that Chip Miller took great pride in, as “the heartbeat of the Carlisle Events organization.”

In the 1980s and ’90s, OEM Corvette parts were tough to come by, but during Corvettes at Carlisle, Chip Miller took great effort to make sure he had all the right vendors at the event. As the event continued to grow in each sector, so did the visitors’ excitement of owning and driving a Corvette. Chevrolet saw the advantages of this Corvette enthusiasts’ Mecca and Chip Miller succeeded in having Team Chevrolet attend Corvettes at Carlisle for the first time. Lance Miller recalled, “I’ll never forget how grateful my father was for having them come to the event. We’re fortunate to continue this tradition today”.

The vendors and parts have changed quite a bit in 40 years of the show. Many of the older cars have been restored -- some restored multiple times -- so original parts aren’t in as high demand as they were back in the day, and many have been remanufactured making them cheaper due to mass production. Lance Miller said, “We’ve seen a transformation of our attendees wanting to enhance and personalize their newer Corvettes. Sometimes they need an exhaust, sometimes it’s paint protection film, sometimes it’s different wheels and sometimes it’s an entire engine makeover.”

It seems apparent that Corvette passion is alive and well, and there is a current push towards Vette-Rods, as enthusiasts are converting older Corvettes with newer technology – brakes, transmission, AC, engine and suspension components. The vendors at Corvettes at Carlisle adapt to the times and trends, and supply what the audience and attendees demand. Lance Miller said, “I’m happy to say if you visit us at Carlisle, you’ll find what you need for your next project – whether you’d like to keep your restoration as close to factory as possible all the way to the Vette-Rod.”

When Chip Miller passed away in 2004 from amyloidosis, Carlisle Events management asked Lance Miller to manage Corvettes at Carlisle. “I accepted the challenge without hesitation,” he said. “In fact, my Mom needed help managing her ownership of the company so it ended up being a dual position. At the time I had my own web design and consulting business, which I sold quickly prior to accepting the job at hand.”

Lance Miller didn’t come in cold; he was involved with each of the company’s events at a very young age, from putting out paper plates on the field with vendor ID numbers, to selling tickets and driving the company tram. “My father was a true mentor for me,” he said, “and he would put me through the paces. I recall mowing the lawn, putting in the vendor ID disks and taking them out, emptying the trashcans, scrubbing the floors in the buildings, and everything my father wanted me to learn. As I got older, I learned quickly why he did what he did. It made me truly appreciate each position at Carlisle Events. I know how hard every team member works, and if it weren’t for my father forcing these jobs on me, I wouldn’t appreciate how hard each person works, nearly as much. To say I’m grateful is an understatement, he did well at his parenting and I’m thankful for it now I can pass that down to my daughter (I bet she’ll love it!).”

When Lance Miller took over the reins of the event, he quickly learned about the Corvette community. “They are amazing,” he said. “Everyone that was involved with helping my father reached out and said they’d handle different themes for the event. They were amazing and I quickly realized our events are ALL about the people – the passion behind the car is driven hard, but the people drive it home for our events. Whenever we have incredible displays there’s always a couple of people that really drive it home – typically one car owner of a specific theme will go out of their way to ensure it’s a great display. This spills over to the general public and makes for a great event.”

Lance Miller reflected, “Corvettes at Carlisle was my father’s baby, it meant the world to him. The event keeps him alive, and after I had taken over, a Corvette community friend mentioned to me at one of our events that he felt that we should conduct an Engine Rev tribute to my father. As feedback is essential to making any event better, we listen and we apply. I did just that… I broadened the scope a bit, and we do an Engine Rev for our loved ones at noon on Saturday each year during Corvettes at Carlisle. I typically have my Mom by my side, I say a few words and then following a moment of silence, everyone on the grounds revs their engines for our loved ones that can no longer join us. Each year I have tears in my eyes and I can feel my father’s presence with my Mom and me in the car. To me, this is something my father would be proud of and it is something I’m proud of.”

Lance Miller has seen the show grow, but the fans remain constant. He said, “The fans are still the same; some have aged, but their love and passion haven’t diminished. We also see that there are a LOT of new Corvette enthusiasts entering the market. We’re seeing a drastic increase in people enjoying their newer Corvettes -- C6-C8 cars -- due to the luxury of driving it compared to the early years. The vendor base is the heartbeat to our organization and I often tell people they can build a Corvette out of the parts that are available within our vendor area. If you’re looking for that hard to find part, you’ll most likely find it at Carlisle. We’re also seeing a spike in our Manufacturers Midway, where many of the exhaust manufactures and others do installs transforming your Corvette right before your eyes. It’s a lot of fun to watch and hear.”

Lance Miller added, “My father would often say… LIFE IS GOOD! For three words, it’s quite powerful. I do my best to live by these words and we do our best to apply this to each event we host. If you’ve never attended one of our events I’d encourage you to come out, in fact I’d love to hear your feedback as we put them on solely for you! Feedback is crucial for us to improve and the only way we can improve is by hearing how we can make it a better experience for you.”

Corvettes at Carlisle at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds, August 26-28, is the largest and most diverse Corvette car show in the world.  The annual Corvettes at Carlisle event features thousands of Corvettes representing all generations of America’s classic sports car. Corvettes at Carlisle spotlights all aspects of the Corvette hobby, including different styles, packages and every generation of production, from year one in 1953 to the modern day C8.  

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

 

Car guys love car shows, and when a car guy who stars on a televised car show guests at a live car show (event), it is the best of times in the car show world. Aaron Kaufman, TV host and car builder, is the former lead mechanic at Gas Monkey Garage and co-host of Fast N’ Loud filmed at the Gas Monkey Garage. Kaufman is the owner of Arclight Fabrication in Dallas, TX and he will be a guest celebrity for a meet-and-greet at the Carlisle GM Nationals, June 25 - 26, at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds.

The Texas-based Kaufman, who also starred in a one-season television show entitled Shifting Gears with Aaron Kaufman, is coming to Carlisle, fresh from his newest TV venture, Aaron Needs a Job, in which he toured America while featuring people doing jobs he found interesting and challenging. Of course, most of the jobs on the show relate in some way to the automotive industry, but he isn’t tied into that without the flexibility to investigate other exciting jobs and the people who work them.

More than a mechanic, fabricator, car builder, TV personality and “car guy,” Kaufman is also a competitive racer. In September 2015, Kaufman competed in the Speed Energy Formula Off-Road Stadium Super Trucks series, driving a Toyo Tires-sponsored truck at the Sand Sports Super Show in Costa Mesa, CA. He ran two rounds during the weekend, finishing fifth in both his heat races, followed by tenth- and eighth-place runs in the features. Things didn’t go Kaufman’s way during the event, including one incident in which his truck partially rode on a K-rail. After the race, fellow driver Robby Gordon joked that is was “some of the best, worst driving I have ever seen from the Toyo Tires driver.”

Kaufman got his automotive start working at a garage in Dallas, putting to use his talent for pulling things apart and putting them back together, a skill he recognized in himself as a child. Kaufman’s father was a passionate car guy and Kaufman helped his dad work on multiple projects.

Originally, Kaufman pictured himself becoming a park ranger, but when he found he had a skill and a thirst for disassembling cars and putting them back together with tweaks to make them better than ever, his focus went to all things automotive. As a young man, he ventured into hot rods as a self-taught fabricator, mechanic, and hot-rodder. At his garage, he met Richard Rawlings, the entrepreneur who was also a reality show (Fast N’ Loud) and media personality. Rawlings recognized Kaufman’s skill and hired him as a mechanic, eventually promoting him to lead mechanic at Gas Monkey Garage, both at the garage business and in the Fast N’ Loud TV show based on the enterprise.

As Kaufman became a media personality, he never lost focus of his passion for building, tweaking and creating automotive projects. After 14 years at the Gas Monkey Garage and four years with Fast N’ Loud, Kaufman felt boxed in as to the approach to what vehicles he could work on and how to fix them up, and left the relationship to allow him the flexibility to work on exciting projects of his own choosing.

This will be Kaufman’s first time at the Carlisle GM Nationals and he said he was “anxious to see the cars and meet the enthusiasts.”

The meet-and-greet and autograph sessions with Kaufman are free for Carlisle GM Nationals attendees, once through the gates. Following his Carlisle appearance, Kaufman is expected to compete in the Pikes Peak Hill Club the following day (Sunday). Kaufman will fly to Colorado after his Carlisle appearance and drive in the 99th offering of the “Race to the Clouds” at Pikes Peak in Cascade, Colorado. The peak is nearly three-miles high and Kaufman will be among those drivers to attack the climb. He has driven in the race multiple times, most often in a 1963 Ford Falcon race car he re-built on his show, until he sold it online.

The Carlisle GM Nationals is one of the largest GM featured event in the world, with more than 1000 vehicles on the field spanning more than a century and showcasing the many badges that have been under the General Motors badge (umbrella). The cars on-site will include vintage and classics to late-model automobiles and trucks, including the 6th Generation Camaro.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>

In less than one week the Carlisle GM Nationals take center stage at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds.  The two-day gathering of all things GM takes place June 25-26 and includes competitions, special displays and even some cool automotive guests.  Each guest is special for various reasons, but the one standing front and center on June 26 rose to fame in the eyes of the car community via a handful of popular car programs.  For one day only, Carlisle Events is pleased to welcome Aaron Kaufman, direct from Texas to Carlisle! 

Kaufman is a builder and TV personality who is known for his time alongside Richard Rawlings on Gas Monkey Garage.  In addition, he’s also the owner of Dallas, Texas based Arclight Fabrication.  Kaufman also ventured into solo TV projects, including Shifting Gears with Aaron Kaufman and Aaron Needs a Job. 

While noted that Kaufman is coming direct from Texas, more accurately, he’s flying in from Denver, where he’s training and preparing for the internationally famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb, taking place just hours after his autograph sessions in Carlisle.  The sessions are from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, while the 99^th offering of the “Race to the Clouds” is June 27 at the famous nearly three miles high mountain known as Pikes Peak in Cascade, Colorado.  By the way, an autograph and photo opportunity with Kaufman is FREE once on grounds at Carlisle. 

*Please note, an earlier guest appearance announcement noted that Mike Finnegan, host of Roadkill on Motor Trend TV, would appear at the Carlisle GM Nationals.  Due to circumstances beyond the control of all parties involved, he will not be appearing. 

Carlisle Events is COVID-19 compliant and follows current guidelines suggested by state officials as well as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  A detailed Health/Safety Measures summary is available on CarlisleEvents.com.  While on the web, be sure to learn more about the 2021 Carlisle GM Nationals, review photos of Featured Vehicle displays, register for the National Parts Depot Showfield or to be a vendor, purchase discounted spectator tickets in advance and more.  Call 717-243-7855 to learn more today.  

The 1970s was a decade filled with self-expression, breaking with tradition, experimentation with fashion, inventive color and style, and a drive to be unique. That determination was apparent in the automotive industry with colorful cars and the evolution of custom vans -- shaggin’ wagons.

While high-impact color muscle cars rolled down America’s highways, perhaps the vehicle that best illustrated America’s go-for-the-good-times lifestyle was the custom van. The muscle-car apartments on wheels were a canvas for creativity that cruised down Van Nuys Blvd. in California, Woodward Avenue in Detroit, and on various strips across all regions of America.

Several auto manufacturers built already “customized” vans to take advantage of the market, and many after-market companies served the movement by fully customizing the blank van canvas to the buyer’s own vision.

These were full-sized vans, as the minivan didn’t really hit the scene until 1984. They were not today’s soccer-mom transporters. They often had beds inside, lots of speakers, shag carpet, and personalized cosmetics and features. While their popularity waned by the end of the decade, the wild ’70s saw a genre in which the wilder was the better, and each unique interior take or creative exterior paintjob was in competition with the next customization to be king of the road.

A tricked out van could include shiny chrome, plush carpeting, extreme sound systems, amped-up horsepower and museum-worthy artwork that was hip, trendy, professional and exclusive to each van. On a single cruise strip you could see vans sporting robust color, flames, stripes, lettering, and images of monsters, dungeons and dragons, skulls, mermaids, princesses, fairies, pirates, space scenes, Western scenes, animals, giant insects, naked or nearly naked objects of desire, airbrushing, brushed-on portraits and so much more. Each van was a unique creation.

The 1970s van culture was a creative moment in time, but it still plays today, and Carlisle Events will pay homage to the era at the Carlisle Truck Nationals August 6 - 8, at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds. The display, called Vanarama IX welcomes vanners and all vans and enthusiasts. As part of the show, Carlisle Events has invited Kurk Collis of customvan.com to head the event, and the show features several of his works of automotive art as well as several from automotive artist Ed Beard Jr., who has 40 years of illustration and custom automotive airbrush work in his portfolio.

Collis builds his own parts and concentrates on interiors. He began by learning every aspect of the van conversion plant he worked for in the 1970s, working his way up to design engineer until forming his own custom van shop -- RV Doctor -- in Baltimore, in the late 1980s, specializing in vans and SUVs. Collis said, “In the 1970s I read car magazine articles showing shag-carpeted vans and the new breed of auto enthusiasts who expressed their individuality and took the delivery van to a new level. It changed my life and I envisioned helping them taking an old bread truck or mechanics truck and personalizing it to give it a personal meaning.”

Exterior art is what you see from the road, and while Collis continues the exterior story inside, Ed Beard Jr. creates it on the outside. Beard did his first airbrush automotive job in 1982 and moved from vans to hot rods, then to Harleys; hand-painting high fantasy, warlords, creatures and monsters, from murals to close-up work. He moved to illustrating books, calendars and novelty products, then returned to van art creation in 2010.

Regarding van exteriors, Beard said, “The art tells a story … I use different techniques for the art at hand, from airbrushing to hand brush work and fine line work. I specialize in lettering and portrait work, and I hand-draw. You can see individual hairs on my portraits and I follow a creative-theme storyline with hidden objects that you have to search out to see.”

Beard believes that the exterior and interior work together. He said, “A successful van customization has a synergy between the exterior and interior. The style and theme on exterior front doors has to be carried on inside. Kurk carries the theme with sound, collectable and fun objects, cloth, stitching, colors and panel lighting, and I add theme painting to complete the package.”

Carlisle got into the act in 2010. Collis said, “I came to the Spring Carlisle Swap Meet to sell inventory and we got a few vans together to show off and sell. Visitors and Carlisle staff saw the excitement and next year we brought – or contacted vanners to bring – 30 vans to Building T. Soon, van campers were allowed in to make Vanarama a van party. This year we will see more than 100 vans attend and display.”

There is no typical design, but common interior themes from Collis include “Two chairs in front that swivel, a bed in back, and such unique themes as Superman, or a railroad narrative, or we did one with a ‘Stairway to Heaven’ song storyline.” Collis’ playbook includes high-shine waxed wood inside, lighting that changes to the music played, lighted logos in wall (in the Superman van), center wheel logos, and what creative additions the conversion suggests to him. “We build a fluid, living thing,” said Collis.

Collis said, today’s crowd is similar to that of 50 years ago. “Today is the same as always,” he said. “It is about what the 60-year-old vanner was driving 40 or 50 years ago and nostalgia that makes older vanners feel young again. Maybe he wants to recapture the van he had or one he saw, but couldn’t have in those days. And it is about the young vanners who want edgy and not mainstream art on wheels, with navi, electronics, Bluetooth, music, lights, fuel injection and high-tech. In the end, it is as it has always been … it is about self-expression.”

Beard said, “Today’s exterior focus is not much different, stressing military, history super heroes, Marvel comic heroes or sports. And it is often personal, My ‘Orange Krate’ creation carries a family’s story in a Bermuda Triangle-pirate theme; ‘Dragonlord’ is a wizards and dragons theme and ‘Shanna Marie’ is a pirate-themed tribute to a family.”

Collis added, “At Vanarama you can see the evolution of it all. What remains the same is the company we keep. The vanner community cares about each other. We stick together as a family … the vanner family.”

Beard and Collis will show off some of their work, along with more than 100 other vanners, at this year’s Carlisle Truck Nationals, which hosts around 2,000 trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs. Attendees can take in some action with a burnout contest, low truck limbo, high truck contest, frame-dragging contest, and more.

Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

 

In 1909, Henry Ford was quoted as saying about the Model T, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants, so long as it is black.” When the quote was delivered, the Model T only came in black because the production line required compromise so that efficiency and improved quality could be achieved.

But for many car enthusiasts then and now, while black can be dynamic, cool colors really speak to and attract crowds of fans. Car color has been a topic of discussion since the beginning of the automobile and while some early cars were unpainted, even what was arguably the first motor vehicle, the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, was green, with its fully exposed engine finished in bright red. By 1910, cars were offered in red, green, gray, and black, and even the Model T was sold in various colors. 

By the 1920s, cream and tan were added to the color mix and the 1930s and 1940s saw metallic paints added. In the 1950s, two-tone paint jobs along with generous amounts of chrome set the tone. Car colors went bright in many shades of blue, red, green, gold, and turquoise, as well as white and black. One bright example was the Dodge “LaFemme,” a model marketed as a “women’s car” with pink paint, and special umbrella and lipstick holders.

The 1960s ushered in an era of self-expression and cars were in step as many sports cars and coupes featured more exuberant, less conventional shades of colors such as red, green, and blue. In addition, colors such as bright yellow, and violet found their first mainstream automotive applications during this decade. Power-plus muscle cars, such as the Plymouth Barracuda featured nontraditional colors. 

The 1970s saw a greater popularity of “Earth tones,” which included shades of olive green, brown, and tan or cream, and colors were more restrained. Except that in the summer of 1969 and lasting into 1973, Chrysler’s Dodge and Plymouth motor divisions both began offering bright and vibrant paint colors -- known as Mopar High Impact Colors -- on their muscle car models. While competitors tried keeping up with Chrysler’s fresh new look with their own bold blends, their imitations couldn’t compete with Chrysler’s sharp new shades. These eye-popping paint colors had one purpose: attracting young buyers looking to make a statement with their muscle car.

Dodge categorized its paint colors as High-Performance Colors, while Plymouth labeled them High Impact Colors, but through time, both paint groups are often referred to as High Impact Colors. And in today’s world, some displays are called “Kool Colors” and “Old Skool Paint.”

Dodge and Plymouth both used different names for the same colors, however, they shared the same paint codes and isn’t uncommon for a paint color name from one motor division to incorrectly identify another motor division’s color name, as often car enthusiasts refer to the color of a Plymouth ‘Cuda as “Hemi Orange” when technically that was a name Dodge used.

Some of the most vibrant impact colors include:

Plum Crazy
In 1970 and 1971, Dodge labeled its regal purple paint color Plum Crazy while Plymouth used In Violet. It isn’t uncommon to hear car show folk refer to this color as Plum Crazy, regardless if it’s on a Charger or a Road Runner.

Hemi Orange
The Hemi Orange at Dodge or Tor Red at Plymouth was available from 1969 through 1972. Both Dodge and Plymouth eventually came to a consensus by using the term “Hemi Orange” to identify the color. 

Bahama Yellow
From 1969 to 1971, a vibrant yellow was part of the Mopar color palette. Dodge called it Butterscotch while Plymouth named it Bahama Yellow. 

Go Mango
In 1969 and 1970, a stunning EK2 orange paint color was available in two fruit-inspired names: Go-Mango at Dodge and Vitamin C at Plymouth. 

Sublime Green
Dodge’s Sublime Green and Plymouth’s Limelight was a toxic yellow-green color available exclusively in 1970. It was one of the most radical and flamboyant High Impact colors ever offered. 

Pink Panther
One of the most vivid and polarizing Mopar colors ever was the Pink FM3 paint code available in the spring of 1970 and as a special-order option in 1971. At the time, some dealers repainted their cars because they didn’t think Pink would sell. Dodge named it Pink Panther, as a take on Peter Sellers’ 1963 Pink Panther movie. Plymouth opted for Moulin Rouge, referring to the infamous cabaret in Paris, France. 

Other High Impact colors include:
Top Banana in Dodge -- Lemon Twist in Plymouth; Citron Yella in Dodge -- Curious Yellow in Plymouth; Green Go in Dodge -- Sassy Grass Green in Plymouth; Bright Green in Dodge – Rallye Green in Plymouth.

Carlisle Events pays homage to “Old Skool” paint at the 2021 Carlisle Chrysler Nationals July 9 - 11, at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds. Featuring retro colors, flake and original as well as recent paint artistry, the display brings the visitor back in time to psychedelic paintjobs. 

Ed Buczeskie, Carlisle Chrysler Nationals Events Manager said, “Our display reflects the custom style of a bygone era. What’s so cool about it is that some of these cars actually survived with the same paint for 50 +/- years. That allows us to see exactly how they looked back in the day. On the other side of the coin are the modern painters such as Travis Hess, who can replicate that style, but with modern materials and arguably better quality, as the standards are higher now.”

Buczeskie points to a few colors as the extreme kings of the day. “Panther Pink (Dodge) and Moulin Rouge (Plymouth) was possibly the wildest factory color ever. Also, the 1971 ‘Cuda “billboard’ stripe was pretty wild. So, while Chrysler had (and still has) some wild colors, the concept was and is about the personalization from the owners and custom painters.”

The old school (or old “skool”) paint still plays today, and Buczeskie said it is about two things. “One is that it’s very different and people like different – especially now that we’ve all seen every possible factory combination. The other is nostalgia. Most of these cars were lost to time. They were rare enough in the Chrysler world back in the day and even fewer remain today.”

Factory paint is the focus here, but old-school artists such as George Barris did extreme customization then, and this year’s show displays one of today’s artists who employs an old-school vibe – Travis Hess. Buczeskie said, “Travis Hess is one of the best custom painters around today, who creates old-school artistry. And he’s a Mopar guy – as is his dad, Bucky Hess. At least two of the cars in the display were painted by Travis Hess. One is the ’64 Dodge that he owns and the other is the ’71 Charger of John McCabe. Hess’ ‘High Anxiety’ 1964 Dodge 440 Race Hemi hardtop is a stunning NHRA Stock Eliminator car that made its debut in 2016. McCabe’s ’71 Charger is also being replicated as a collectible die-cast for the event by M2 Machines. McCabe is also an amazing custom painter, but he chose Hess for the Charger. Another standout is the ’70 ‘Cuda of Tommy Baker. Baker is not a custom painter by trade, but he did his car himself and it’s AMAZING.”

Buczeskie added, “All the cars on display were standouts then and are standouts now.”

Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.