Over 3,000 Fords converged on the Carlisle Fairgrounds
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Carlisle Events
What happens when you combine beautiful weather with an amazing collection of Ford hardware? A lot of people show up to take it all in. In fact, this year’s Carlisle Ford Nationals—which was held June 3-5 on the fairgrounds in Carlisle, Pennsylvania—was said to be the biggest yet. Not only did it outdo last year’s car show participation, but the promoters report that this year’s installment was double the size it was back in 2001.
To get an idea of the scope of the event, watch this cool drone footage of the fairgrounds…
And here’s a little recap from our friends at Ford Performance…
What made this year’s event extra special was a 10-year reunion of the Ford GT, which brought out an amazing array of hardware from prototypes to race cars. Seeing that many GTs in one spot was definitely a draw. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Shelby GT350, so Ford brought out the latest GT350 and GT350R to wow the crowds.
On Saturday evening Carlisle Events hosted a Ford Parade and street party in downtown Carlisle. It was great seeing all manner of high-performance Fords lining the streets, but this large contingent of Ford GTs was definitely a highlight.
“The Carlisle Ford Nationals will give Ford and Shelby fans an up-close look at our Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R models,†Jim Owens, Shelby GT350 marketing manager, said before the event. “These cars are true to the balanced performance that the late Carroll Shelby engineered into every car he built. I have no doubt Ford Mustang and Shelby fans at the Carlisle Ford Nationals will find these cars to be among their favorites at the show.â€
It’s hard to argue that, but going way back, this year is also 60th anniversary of the Thunderbird, and there was as big collections of Thunderbirds on the property, including a rare stainless steel ’Bird. There was even a gathering of Mercury Merkurs, so there was a little something for everyone at Carlisle.
Building T on the Carlisle Fairgrounds served as the location for a historic gathering of Ford GTs and the people associated with them. On Friday night there was a VIP event for Ford GT lovers that saw the likes of the car’s designer Camilo Pardo and many other GT celebrities in attendance. This gathering of GTs also served a prime location to film a segment for the new Velocity TV show, Ford GT—An American Icon, hosted by Joseph Limongelli, a.k.a GT Joey.
What separates Carlisle from your average car show is major involvement from Ford. Not only did the Blue Oval show off a host of new vehicles, but the company also let attendees drive some of them at the Ford Go Further Ride & Drive Experience. And, if you already had a car on site and wanted to add some Ford Performance Racing Parts to it, you could have them installed at the Ford Performance garage.
We’re not sure what Carlisle Events has up its sleeve to top this year’s event, but if you’ve never been to this show, you need to add it to your bucket list, because it’s a Ford fan’s wonderland.
Ford products specialists offered walk-around presentations on several new Ford vehicles on display at the event. Of course, one of the cars that everyone was talking about an posting up on social media was the forthcoming Shelby GT350R. It looked stunningly menacing in all black, and with 526 horsepower under the hood, this car should fly around a road course.Thanks to a partnership between Ford Performance and Fred Beans Ford of Boyertown, Pennsylvania, the Ford Performance Garage offered enthusiasts the chance to have Ford Performance Racing Parts installed right there on the event grounds. It’s an option that is not only convenient for enthusiasts, but also entertaining for those that enjoy watching a little wrenching. FPRP also gave away a $2,000 shopping spree at the event.Our friends at BG Racing were on hand vending at the event. They also brought out the world’s quickest EcoBoost Mustang for the crowd to enjoy.Naturally the AmericanMuscle.com team was onsite with a host of project cars on display. One significant member of that lineup is the MMD by Foose 2015 Mustang that the company will give away at its own show on August 15.The burnout contest is a crowd favorite at the Carlisle Ford Nationals. Everyone loves tire slaying, but the Carlisle event team definitely goes the extra mile to protect the crowd should something go awry. A forklift moves one of these shielded barriers so the car can pull in. Then the barrier is set back into place so the car is surrounded on all four sides. Obviously a rep from the Ford Performance Racing School was just about to show how the 2015 Mustang’s line-lock feature works when this shot was taken.Not just a car show, Carlisle not only offers the burnout contest, but a popular autocross sponsored by Gateway Classic Mustangs. The cone-carving festivities attracted drivers of Mustangs, Focus, Fiesta, and more. The top three quickest competitors in the Real Street Shootout class took home impressive trophies.At Friday night’s Ford GT dinner a host of GT celebrities—including designer Camilo Pardo (left) and Ford GT—An American Icon author Joseph “GT Joey†Limongelli signed a special Ford GT banner. That banner was auctioned off for $2,500 to the benefit of the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation, which supports research for an Amyloidosis cure.The only thing that might challenge the burnout contest in popularity would be the Miss Carlisle competition. We can’t imagine why…Lava Red Metallic was one of the most unique colors available in the S197 era. One of the rarest colors in the factory palette, this dark metallic red is often confused with black by the uninitiated. The owner of this car came up with an ideal solution to clarify the question of his car’s color—a big sign in the window.
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