Carlisle Events claimed a new record for its Chrysler show—3,201 cars registered for the show field, 51 cars more than the previous Chrysler event record. That doesn’t even include the many cars inside and outside the Expo Center, which were brought by members of several clubs for their national meets.
The Expo Center cars included several 1924 Chryslers and Airflows, two turbine cars, and a Dodge Brothers car and truck. None of these counted as a show field car, and none were judged. The Expo Center displays were largely coordinated by the Walter P. Chrysler Club, which worked with other clubs, such as the Plymouth Owners, DeSoto, Imperial, Airflow, and Town & Country clubs to attract a good cross-section of the company’s early cars.
Chryslers at Carlisle attracts quite a wide range of vehicles, from the very early days to modern trucks, but the most popular cars are the 1960s and 1970s muscle cars. These have a place of honor in the center of the show.
Tents and buildings hosted seminars and workshops on Friday and Saturday. Frank Rhodes, great-grandson of Walter Chrysler, told stories and showed items from the family vault; Bill Adams and Robert Soule of the Walter P. Chrysler Club, who organized much of the event, gave tours of the Expo cars with a rep of the Detroit Historical Society. Chrysler leader Christine Feuell talked for half an hour, then toured the grounds and chatted with owners.
David Zatz, writer of books on minivans, Jeeps, Vipers, and the Century of Chrysler (and this article), gave an Expo Center talk on the Chrysler’s first century. Regular speakers and autograph providers included members of famed racing teams, engineers, and models, many of whom are regular fixtures at the huge show.
See numerous photos from Carlisle at our sister site for Mopar history, motales.com.
David Zatz started what was to become the world’s biggest Mopar site (Allpar) in 1994. After a chemo-induced 2007-2010 break, during which he wrote car books covering Vipers, minivans, and Jeeps, he returned with Patrick Rall to create StellPower.com for daily news, and to set up MoTales for mo’ tales (Chrysler history and “permanent” car and truck pages). He most recently wrote Century of Chrysler, a 100-year retrospective on the marque.
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