Dodge At the Pumpkin Run

 

The Dodge brothers started a company in 1900 manufacturing parts for other auto makers including Olds and even Ford. They started making their own cars in 1913 and changed the name of their firm to The Dodge Brothers Motor Company. Following the passing of both brothers in 1920, the firm was purchased by Chrysler where they fit below the top of the line Chrysler automobiles but slightly ahead of the mid priced DeSoto models. The 48th Pumpkin Run Nationals saw a large number of Dodge vehicles show up at the Clermont County Fairgrounds. Here are a few that were on hand.

 

Customs and Rods Were On Hand For the Pumpkin Run

 

The Pumpkin Run Nationals is held each year thanks to the Fastiques Rod and Custom Car Club who, for the 48th time, held the event as a way to raise money for a number of charities. With the Shrine Hospital being the primary charity, there are so many others that benefit from this annual massive event. The show is held on the Clermont County Fair Grounds in Owensville and this past event brought in over 2600 cars and trucks, all from 1974 or earlier, from as far away as Florida, Canada and even Alaska. The Fastiques are, as the name indicates, a club based on custom cars and hot rods. And for their show they attract quite of few of those types of ride. Here are just some that were at the 2024 event.

 

Bow Ties At the Pumpkin run

 In November, 1911 the Chevrolet brothers, Louis and Arthur, teamed up with William C. Durant who had been kicked out of his company, General Motors, to form the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. Durant had been booted from GM because he had been buying up smaller car firms in order to create a giant conglomerate which led to a cash shortage for the company. Durant led Chevrolet to gain a controlling share of GM and merged Chevy with his former company in 1918. He lasted a year before being ousted again. But Chevrolet thrived and became the entry level brand in the GM family, standing up to Ford in the early days and, following World War II, becoming the largest selling brand in the U.S. for decades. That is one reason why, the company with the Bow Tie logo, had so many cars on had at the 48th Pumpkin Run Nationals. Among the Chevy cars on hand was a 1963 Impala, a 1966 Chevy II, a 1964 Nova Super Sport, a 1972 El Camino, a 1963 Biscayne, a restomod 90 van, and a Fleetmaster.

Plymouth Among the Pumpkins

 

In 1928 Chrysler launched a new brand of low cost, entry level automobiles to compete with Chevy and Ford. Plymouth was fairly successful, though not able to compete face-to-face with its rivals. Still, it helped Chrysler through the Great Depression and beyond. By the 1950s Plymouth became a canvas for Virgil Exner and his Forward Look designs, showing surprising futuristic details. By the 1990s the unique look of the Plymouth cars was gone as Chrysler, along with other manufacturers, were sharing platforms and designs in order to save on production costs. By 2001 Plymouth was gone, a casualty of the tough competition in the market. Still, may fans have kept their Plymouths and proudly show them. The 48th Pumpkin Run Nationals saw plenty of Plymouth cars on hand including  a sweet 1964 Fury Race Hemi, a 1947 Special Deluxe, a Barracuda, another Special Deluxe and several others.

 

Pumpkin Run Packards

 

From its beginnings in 1899, Packard was one of America's most luxurious automobiles. With plenty of room and built in comfort, solid, worry-free construction and some of the most powerful engines, including one of the first V-12s, Packard was an automobile sought out by those who could afford it. It, along with many others, became a victim of the Big Three (Chrysler, Ford and General Motors) slashing prices and saturating the market following World War II. In 1954 Packard bought a failing Studebaker hoping that the smaller, less expensive cars of Studebaker would help them compete but Studebaker was too far in debt and it all managed to drag down both companies.  Packard shuttered its doors in 1958. Still, a number of these magnificent machines live on and a few were on hand for the 48th Pumpkin Run Nationals. Here they are, including the 1940 Eight above.

 

 

Oldsmobile At the Pumpkin Run

The 48th Pumpkin Run Nationals brought in over 2600 cars and trucks, every one from 1974 or before, to the Clermont County Fair Grounds in Owensville on a beautiful early fall day. Among the many cars on hand was a good selection of Oldsmobiles including a Cutlass, a restomod Cutlass station wagon, and some more Cutlass models, including a couple convertibles.

 

Mustangs At the Pumpkin Run

The Ford Mustang is one of America's most iconic automobiles. Though it wasn't the actual first pony car to hit the market (the Plymouth Barracuda beat it by days), it is where the pony car name came from. There are plenty of them that have been preserved or rescued and so it's little wonder there were so many at the 48th Pumpkin Run Nationals among the over 2600 cars and trucks that were on hand at the Clermont County Fair Grounds. Here are a few that were on hand that day.