Ask any hardcore Mopar enthusiasts East of the Mississippi what their favorite car show is, and undoubtedly they’ll say the “Carlisle Chrysler Nationals.” This event has been ongoing since the early 1990s and continues to grow annually.

While many folks like to trailer their vintage muscle cars to Carlisle, there are those who hit the open road and roll old school. Vinyl seats and no A/C be damned! (Photo by David Hakim)
The past two decades have seen a shift in the vehicles that populate the massive Chrysler Carlisle Nationals show field, as more attendees drive their late-model Challengers, Chargers, 300s, and other Gen-3 HEMI-powered vehicles for the modern creature comforts.
Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, where you learn about the Birds and the Bees, among other things. (Photos by David Hakim)
But there are still many diehard and hardcore folks who’ll road trip their vintage muscle cars with no A/C, vinyl seats, sketchy brakes, and too much rear gear to be rolling down the PA Turnpike at posted speed limits. They’ll run 60 mph while still getting passed by campers and tour buses heading to Carlisle.
(To see last year’s Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, click here.)

For the first time in the show’s history, an official cruise was organized through historic downtown Carlisle. Just think, Union and Confederate soldiers once fought on these streets. (Photo by David Hakim)
For those less adventurous who still want to roll into the Carlisle fairgrounds with an old school carbureted muscle car, they take the safe approach and transport their precious car within enclosed trailers hooked to RAM 1500 and 2500 pickups.

Where else would you find a fully functioning (except the cannon) 1943 Sherman Tank? Luckily, no German Tiger Tanks were hanging out in the bushes inside the Carlisle Fairgrounds! (Photo by David Hakim)
New For 2025
Since the Carlisle Events staff likes to change up the show year-to-year and celebrate historic Mopar muscle car milestones, for the 2025 event, the theme was the 100th anniversary of the Chrysler brand. To commemorate this august occasion, a 1926 Chrysler Six, a pair of Turbine cars, and even a WWII Sherman Tank were on display. There was even a H-Hemi powered air-raid siren straight out of the 1950s when relations between America and the Soviet Union heated up and marked the start of the Cold War.
Some modern-day Chrysler concepts, such as the Atlantic and the equally stunning Halcyon, were on display, too, showing the company’s emphasis on style and technology.
The 1970 Dodge Challenger T/As and Plymouth AAR ‘Cudas were featured this year at Carlisle. Despite their lackluster performance during the 1970 SCCA Trans-Am Series, the street versions practically became instant collectables. (Photos by David Hakim)
Carlisle also recognized the 55th anniversary of the 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda and Dodge Challenger T/A. The two nameplates had a much better reputation on the streets than the twisty SCCA road courses, banging fenders with Boss 302 Mustangs and Z/28 Camaros.
With their unique fiberglass hood, spoilers, and wild stripes, not to mention the 340 Six Barrel/Six Pak engines with side-exiting exhaust that were exclusive to these cars, AAR and T/A E-bodies were the first to command big money from collectors, starting way back in the early 1980s.
In typical Carlisle fashion, there was a great mix of street versions that had been meticulously restored, yanked from a barn, or survived the ravages of time.

Another cool piece from Chrysler’s illustrious past was this early 1950s-era air raid siren. Powered by a 331 cubic-inch GEN 1 Hemi, it still blared out the ominous tone of a Soviet nuclear strike and evoked memories of “Duck and Cover” for baby boomers wandering the show field. (Photo by David Hakim)
This year’s Chrysler Carlisle Nationals also celebrated the popular “Malaise” era of mid- to late-1970s Chrysler Cordobas, Dodge Chargers, Magnums, Miradas, and Aspens (and their Plymouth cousin the Volare), and just about any other Mopar machine from the heavily induced smog era, when the speedometers would only go up to 100 mph. Despite being the
“Rodney Dangerfield” of Mopars and not getting any respect, the Chrysler community has accepted these miscreants of the Jimmy Carter era and the EPA’s smackdown on high-performance muscle cars.

Carlisle’s Real Street Shootout, Rolling Exhaust Contest, Burnout and Donut competitions, and other activities, gave the senses of show attendees a workout. It’s cool to see many of these machines doing what they were intended for. (Photo by David Hakim)
These misfits, along with many others covering almost a century of Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Jeep, and RAM, were part of the overall Carlisle event in which the 3,000-plus Mopar show cars were on display and appreciated by hordes of the Pentastar faithful who make this annual trek from all over the world to central Pennsylvania.

The Malaise Era of Mopars was well represented at this year’s Carlisle Chrysler National, as seen with this Volare Road Runner. The elitist and snobbery attitude that was once prevalent within the Mopar hobby is slowly evaporating, and these cars are getting the love they deserve.
“We had over 3,201 cars registered for the show field, setting an all-new high for our Chrysler weekend,” said an exuberant Ed Buczeskie, who’s been the event show manager for many years and is a diehard Mopar Man! “This total is 51 more than the previous record set in 2023 and marks just the fourth time since the event’s inception in 1991 that the show field totals topped the 3,000 mark. It’s also the fourth time in as many years, demonstrating that this event continues to gain popularity. The show is so popular that, despite not officially starting until Friday the 11th, by mid-afternoon on Thursday, July 10, the grounds were already packed with guests eager to squeeze as much fun out of their vacation as possible, and that included shopping for parts within the sold-out automotive swap meet.”

Show Manager Ed Buczeskie puts his heart and soul into this show every year. He’s also a true Mopar enthusiast with a GEN 3 HEMI swapped 1967 Plymouth Belvedere. He and his staff are already planning the 2026 Carlisle Chrysler Nationals. (Photo by David Hakim)
As Ed will tell you, it takes an army of workers, volunteers, enthusiasts, and many others who spend a great deal of time planning and making this show happen without vapor locking.
“I couldn’t possibly be prouder of the show or the Carlisle Events staff. I also had some incredible help from Bill Adams and Robert Soule of the Walter P. Chrysler Club, as well as Frank Rhodes, great-grandson of Walter P. The display and celebration that we pulled off was breathtaking. People were excited to see one Chrysler Turbine Car in person, but we were all blown away by having two of them displayed together in our Expo Center. Now, I have to find a way to do even better next year.”
Knowing Ed and his dedicated staff, they will not disappoint.

There were two 1964 Chrysler Turbine Cars on display in the Carlisle Expo Center. These rare machines epitomized Chrysler’s commitment to advancing technology, alternative fuels, and looking into the future. They continue to “wow” fans six decades later. (Photo by David Hakim)
For the hardcore Super Stock Hemi fans, Carlisle also brought together an impressive assortment of the 1964 A864 and 1965 A990 Dodge and Plymouth Super Stock Hemi Package Cars. This display was the brainchild of longtime Mopar Super Stock historians Harold Laplatte, Jim Kramer, and Howard Tony Kroll. These Hemi race machines took Chrysler to a whole new level in NHRA and AHRA national competition, and put the hurt on the Ford 427 Thunderbolts and “Swiss Cheese” 421 Pontiacs.

The 1964 and 1965 Dodge and Plymouth Super Stock Hemi “Package Cars” delighted the attendees at the show. Many were time capsules from a bygone era of drag racing. (Photo by David Hakim)
But before you think the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals is just about show cars and a massive swap meet, think again. Just over the show field is their autocross track, in which high-octane, tire-smoking, exhaust screeching activity was happening. With Carlisle’s Real Street Shootout, Rolling Exhaust Contest, Burnout and Donut competitions, and other activities, the senses of the show attendees got a workout. There was even a cruise through historic downtown Carlisle, where Union and Confederate soldiers fired volleys of musket balls at each other during the Civil War.

Among the living legends in attendance were these gorgeous ’71 ’Cudas and the one and only Buddy Martin, of Sox & Martin fame. (Photos by David Hakim)
Carlisle is also known for its massive Mopar swap meet that contains used cars, parts, literature, memorabilia, apparel, and just about anything you could ever ask for. Just walking the endless rows could take days and weeks, as there are hidden treasures and gems mixed in among the greasy or rusty parts or piled up boxes of items that need a closer examination.

Carlisle’s vast swap meet, with its long, endless rows of Mopar vendors, is legendary and one of the biggest in the country. You really can find just about any part for any Chrysler-built vehicle. (Photo by David Hakim)
The Carlisle Chrysler Nationals is also about the personalities who shaped the Mopar hobby for decades. These living legends can also be considered National Treasures, and attending this year’s event were Buddy Martin, Herb McCandless, Butch Leal, the Original Ramchargers, Golden Commandos, and the First Lady of Motorsports, Miss Linda Vaughn. There was a constant line of fans looking to get autographs and get first-hand accounts of drag racing’s glory days.

The First Lady of Motorsports, Miss Linda Vaughn, had a constant line of fans looking to get her autograph. She and other legends like Buddy Martin, Herb McCandless, Butch Leal, and others provided great first-hand accounts of drag racing’s glory days. (Photo by David Hakim)
So, make plans to attend the 2026 Carlisle Chtrysler Nationals (July 10–12, 2026). Ed and his staff are working on some cool vehicle displays, including celebrating 60 years of the Dodge Charger, the “Adult Toys from Dodge” from the late 1970s that included the Street Van, Power Wagon Pick Up Trucks, Ramcharger SUV, and many cool exhibits that make the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals the Mopar Mecca for the Pentastar followers.