A Ride for Everyone at the Carlisle Import and Kit Car Nationals

Posted by Bubba Harmon on May 25, 2010 in Featured, Shows & Events, Vintage Rides | 3 comments

Who doesn’t love dune buggies? You could have gotten a good healthy dose of buggy envy at the Carlisle Import and Kit Car Nationals which was held last weekend in Carlisle, PA.

Dig that metallic green finish!  Wow!  There were two seaters, four seaters, white ones, blue ones, green ones, and just about every color imaginable.

If you strolled over to Building T you could have chatted with Bruce Meyers, the designer of the first fiberglass dune buggy known as the Meyers Manx. Bruce Meyers was present all weekend to sign autographs and pose for pictures if you asked nicely enough. The good news is that you can once again buy new Meyers buggies like the Manxter 2+2, which is capable of doing 0-60 times of just over 4 seconds.

Want something with a little more displacement? How about a Cobra replica? The Cobras dominated the kit manufacturer area and there were plenty of them on the show field as well. Throw a 4.6L motor in a Factory Five Racing 1965 Cobra replica like Anthony and Robin DiMemmo did and I bet you would have a smile plastered on your face from ear-to-ear. So what if it is fiberglass; it’s still a hot rod! What do you think?

Kit cars come in all shapes and sizes. There were several very exotic looking ones at the Carlisle show like this Sterling Sports Car model. Want one? Basic kits start at $11K and quickly go up in price from there.

And like the spoiler says, “It’s not what you can buy it’s what you can build.”

Club action was hot on the import side of the fairgrounds. Volvos, Triumphs, MGs, BMWs, Datsuns, and many more makes were well represented. Do you own an Opel? If you do then you would have fit right in with the Opel Association of North America group.

The Susquehanna Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) was handling the autocross as seen above in a Friday morning practice run.  Can anyone name this car pictured cone bashing above?

I always seem to enjoy myself when I attend a Carlilse Events show. The facilities and the grounds are kept clean. There is always someone around to help out and even most of the concession stand vendors are friendly. Heck, they even have onsite car wash capabilities. As long as you have a good attitude it is hard not to have fun.

So, what shows do you like to attend? Do you go with a club or are you a lone wolf? Let us know!  We want to hear from you so comment below!

Check out some more photos of the Carlisle Import and Kit Car Nationals over in the picture gallery.