Pumpkin Run Pontiacs

 

General Motors has always strived to offer a brand suited to every range of automotive buyer. Over the years the brands have ranged from the "entry" level and widest selling Chevrolets to the top-of-the-line luxury Cadillac. Buick fit in just beneath the Caddy with Oldsmobile slotted next. Just above the Chevy, prior to its demise, was the highly popular Pontiac. Founded in 1926 as a companion brand to the Oakland, the Pontiac was an affordable step up the ladder. Its popularity was immediate as it quickly saw the Oakland shuttered. Sadly, the brand was discontinued in 2010 but that doesn't stop a large number of fans from restoring and keeping these cars alive. This was evident at the 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals where a number of Pontiacs were on display. Among them was a 1966 La Mans, a 1972 Catalina, a 1964 Grand Prix, a 1956 Star Chief, a 1955 Chieftan, a 1967 Bonneville, and a 1963 Bonneville. 

Customs At the Pumpkin Run

 

The Pumpkin Run Nationals, which just saw its 49th event, is held by the Fastiques Rod and Custom Car Club. So, a show backed by a club dedicated to customs will likely see some roll into the event. Among the 3000 or so cars and trucks that took part in this past year's show there were plenty of customs and rods of all types. They ranged from a Ford Mustang with a huge engine and a 1923 T-Bucket to a group of classic Model A and T roadsters and a very unique Chevy II Nova.

The Pumpkin Run Nationals Saw a Camaro or Two

 

With the exception of a few years in the early 21st century, the Chevrolet Camaro has been one of General Motor's top selling cars and, currently, their only "pony" car. Introduced in 1967 to take on the hugely popular Ford Mustang, the Camaro is now in its sixth generation. Many of the cars were built in the Saint Bernard factory, a plant where my uncle worked. The 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals held at the Clermont County Fair Grounds saw quite a few of these cars. Following the rules that all cars had to be from 1974 or earlier meant that only cars from the first two generations were eligible. Here are some that were among the more than 3000 vehicles on hand for this event.

Bel Air Was At the Pumpkin Run

 

Coming out of World War II the automobile industry needed some time to switch back to making cars and trucks from building equipment and items for the war. In order to sate a booming economy, the firms basically re-packaged the pre-war automobiles and sold them as new. As the 1950s hit car manufacturers were able to introduce all new automobiles. One of the first from Chevrolet was the full-sized Bel Air. Named after a ritzy neighborhood in Los Angelas, the Bel Air has become one of the most popular collector cars and always has a rather large showing at any open car event. The 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals saw a lot of Bel Airs roll into the Clermont County Fair Grounds. Here are just a few of them.

Falcons Flew to the Pumpkin Run

 

Ford introduced the compact Falcon in 1960. It was a scaled down version of the Galaxie. It was made through the 1970 model year and in that time it was the basis of the popular Ranchero and the various Econoline van models. The Pumpkin Run Nationals has a special section and event within the event for the Falcon. Called Falcon Way all Falcons and their derivatives are invited. This always draws a large group. Here are just some of the Falcons that were on hand for the 49th Pumpkin Run.

MoPar Showed Off at the Pumpkin Run

 

The Big Three American auto makers are General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, with the later seen as being number three. And while Chrysler may not top the sales charts, plenty of people are in love with these cars. So much so that MoPar, named for Chrysler's Motor Parts Division, showed up strong at the 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals. Among the cars on display was a 1967 Dodge Charger, a 1974 Plymouth Road Runner, a performance package Charger R/T (which stands for Road/Track), a Charger R/T, a 1968 Super Bee, a 1974 Challenger, and a 1969 Plymouth GTX. 

Mustangs At the Pumpkin Run Nationals

 

The second generation of the Ford Mustang was introduced for the 1974 model year. Called the Mustang II, it was smaller in size than the original which, because of the eminent oil crisis, allowed to compete comfortably against some of the Japanese cars that were flooding the United States. The year 1974 holds another bit of significance, at least for the Pumpkin Run Nationals, as only cars made that year of before were allowed to enter. There may have been a couple Mustang II models on hand but there sure were a lot of first generation 'Stangs on hand. Here are some of them.