Anyone who has ever been to an automotive event at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania knows it is as grand an automotive carnival as anyone can expect. The sights, the sounds, the smell of horsepower — it is always intoxicating. Spring Carlisle 2026 was no different (we told you not to miss it). It had acres of parts, cars for sale, an auction, a Hot Products Showcase, and a whole lot more.
Carlisle’s automotive events/circuses are always the place to go for those rare, impossible to find parts for your collector car and street muscle machine. Everything thinks you can pick up a credit card and order your parts online, but true enthusiasts know there are millions of parts that are not reproduced. Plus, dealing with online scammers makes such transactions a dicey proposition. Since 1977, people have come to Spring Carlisle (not to mention Summer and Fall Carlisle, as well as their single marque events to hunt for those elusive, rare goodies. Rarely do they leave disappointed.
The Carlisle Fairgrounds and Carlisle Expo Center once again served as the epicenter of the automotive world, with Spring Carlisle and its accompanying two-day classic and collector car auction drawing the attention of thousands. Spring Carlisle (April 22-26) and the auction (April 23-24) saw nearly 100,000 car-crazed enthusiasts descend on the town in Pennsylvania from around the world as they bought, sold and traded all things automotive.
Spring Carlisle delivered in all the ways possible, including long lines of anxious shoppers well before the 7 a.m. daily start time at the fairgrounds and top-dollar sales at the auction. The fairgrounds were filled with activity as vendors, collectors, and hobbyists converged to take part in one of the world’s premier automotive gatherings.
Great weather Wednesday through Saturday morning helped drive steady attendance and consistent traffic across the automotive flea market, car corral, and Manufacturers Midway. Best of all, Carlisle vendors reported strong engagement as parts, memorabilia, collectibles, and vehicles moved throughout the weekend, while attendees continued to find everything from restoration necessities to one-of-a-kind automotive treasures.
The ARMO Hot Products Showcase by the stage was a popular destination for show-goers too, as some of the hottest and newest products coming to market were on display direct from the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Making their East Coast debut, these products were the talk of the tent and are no-doubt part of someone’s “gotta have it” wish list.
How strong is the collector car market? The auction saw a 63 percent sell-through rate and totaled $5.3 million in sales. The top four selling cars totaled $431,920 and beyond that, nearly $43,000 in charitable dollars came in, including just over $36,000 for the Fund the Firehouse program.
The highest price sale at the auction was a stunning 1963 Chevrolet Corvette split-window coupe, which crossed the block for $156,600 (including buyer’s premium). Other top sales included a ’67 Mustang GTA fastback ($112,320), a ’70 Boss 302 ($82,000) and a ’65 Corvette ($81,000).
“We’re incredibly grateful for the strong turnout and enthusiasm for our Spring Auction,” noted Tony Cline, Director of Auction Operations. “Thank you to the dedicated consignors, passionate bidders, and hardworking team that all played a part in making this auction a success.”
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