When a group of Scots-Irish immigrants founded Carlisle in 1751, I’m sure they had high hopes for it. Though I’m willing to wager they never envisioned their fledgling little community becoming world-famous.
But, as fate would have it, global prominence has come to Carlisle.
Every year this sleepy little Pennsylvania town becomes the center of the known Corvette universe. The Carlisle PA fairgrounds at 1000 Bryn Mawr Rd in Carlisle is transformed into THE place to be if you love Corvettes.
Many will tell you that Corvettes at Carlisle is the largest and most fun-filled Corvette event they’ve attended. When you gaze out over the acres of shiny Vettes and feel the visceral horsepower-induced energy, it’s hard to dispute those claims.
The highly-anticipated annual Corvettes at Carlisle event features thousands of Corvettes representing all generations of America’s classic sports car. This year we asked veteran Carlisle attendee David Morgan, President of Corvette Atlanta, to give us his impressions.
What follows is the edited transcript of our discussion with this engaging, genteel Southern Corvette aficionado.
The Latest From G.M.
Rod Worley – Editor – David, you’ve been going to Corvettes at Carlisle for many years now. What is one aspect of the show you always look forward to seeing?
David Morgan – Corvette Atlanta – Rod, for me, one of the thrills of Carlisle is having General Motors bring their latest Corvettes to the event. I remember the excitement of being there in 2013 when they unveiled the 60th-anniversary edition in 2014 with the C7 and 2020 with the C8.
You can count on General Motors bringing seven or eight of their latest Corvettes for people to “oh and ah” over. Of course, they always have a mix of coupes and convertibles for everyone to sit in and explore.
Sometimes those attending the show don’t have a Chevrolet dealership in their town that stocks the latest model. So, this gives them a chance to see the latest ones up close.
G.M. also brings an entire team of support people to answer all of your questions. Plus, they give tech talks throughout the event on the finer details.
Used Corvettes Abound
Rod Worley – Editor – Back in July, Kerbeck Chevrolet, the largest volume Corvette dealer in the country, sold their dealership to the Ciocca Group. For years Kerbeck was a fixture at this event.
Did the Ciocca Group continue the tradition of attending Carlisle? Also, besides the new cars, was there a healthy used Corvette inventory available as well there?
David Morgan – Corvette Atlanta – Yes, Ciocca continued the long Kerbeck tradition of trailering in a new car selection to the show. They had a good representation of the various color and interior options available.
Also, they put together a good-looking event poster as well.
As far as used Corvettes goes? Yes, a lot of the show was about used Corvettes. The best ones are inside a big building away from the elements.
You’ll see everything from like-new, ultra-low mileage cars to good-looking daily drivers. But, of course, they also had the rare 427 matching number ones and the 1963 split-window ones there for sale.
Those were going for over $100,000 on up. Beautiful, rare, but pricey.
Many well-priced daily drivers were gone by the end of the weekend, and most of the $100,000 cars were still there. Though I have to say, if I were looking for an excellent daily driver, the Corvettes of Carlisle show would be one place I would check out.
The “Fun Field”
Rod Worley – Editor – For those who haven’t been to Corvettes at Carlisle, can you explain the “Fun Field” area?
David Morgan – Corvette Atlanta – Well, there’s the area for new Corvettes, space for the used ones, and what is called the “Fun Field.”
The “Fun Field” area consists of row after row of Corvettes that individuals have driven to the show. There are also many clubs, groups, and associations there with tents.
The National Corvette Museum has a large tent area and does most big-name parts and accessories, vendors. So if you’re selling to Corvette owners, you’re there.
You have to remember this is an 82-acre fairground with much of it covered with Corvettes for three days. It is truly a sight to see.
As you walk up and down the rows, you’ll see just about every color and model of Corvette imaginable. The great part is that everyone is there to enjoy Corvettes and the Corvette lifestyle.
Striking up a conversation with someone has never been easier. Everybody there has a car that they brought to show, and they’re eager to talk about it at length.
At the heart of the Carlisle, experience is the social and cultural exchange that I enjoy so much about the Corvette lifestyle.
Exhausts, Vintage Parts & More
Rod Worley – Editor – Besides the new and used Corvette available for sale, they also have extensive parts at the fairgrounds. Was there anything in the Manufacturer’s Midway area that caught your eye?
David Morgan – Corvette Atlanta – One of the things that I find fascinating is the row of exhaust manufacturers. All the top brands are there and set up to do the work while you wait.
Each manufacturer has cars there with different exhaust models installed so you can hear how it sounds. Then, you can sit in the car and listen to it with the windows up, door closed, and engine revving.
They do make it easy to pick the right exhaust tone for you. However, the ever-growing pile of replaced exhaust systems was what I found most interesting over the three days.
Besides the exhaust tents, Lingenfelter, Callaway, other speed merchants were hawking their wares and services. Then, of course, the various tire and custom wheel distributors were there enticing you to do business as well.
Then you’ve got row after row of vendors selling hard-to-find parts for vintage Corvettes. It seemed like everything under the sun was there if you were restoring a classic.
If you were looking for a shop manual, instruction book, or a piece of Corvette memorabilia, it was there. Combine all of this with the famous downtown Carlisle Saturday night parade, and you’ve got a weekend that will give you memories for a lifetime.
Celebrating America’s Sports Car
The Corvettes at Carlisle event brings Corvette enthusiasts together en masse. For three days, the 82-acre Carlisle fairgrounds becomes THE place to be for Corvette lovers and their support vendors.
Beyond the obvious eye candy, there are tech talks to attend, racing legends to talk to, competitions, and exhibitions to keep you busy. This immersive celebration of America’s sports car is an event not soon forgotten.
We appreciate David Morgan from Corvette Atlanta taking these photos and sharing the best of Carlisle 2021 with us. Thanks, David!
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