Chevy Brought Bow Ties to the Pumpkin Run

 

Louis Chevrolet had an interesting career. Born in Switzerland, he and his father moved to France when Louis was nine. There he developed an interest in bicycle racing which would become important later in life. While in France he gained experience as a mechanic. In 1900 he moved to Canada and then to New York where he began racing automobiles. He worked for a few different manufacturers, but it was driving for Buick that would change his fortunes forever. The owner of Buick was William C. Durant who was the founder of General Motors. In 1911, along with his brother Arthur and Durant, who had been ousted from GM, with several financial backers, Louis created the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. For its logo, he chose a modified version of the Swiss cross. Today, fans of Chevy have nicknamed that logo the "bow tie" due to its shape. There were plenty of cars sporting the "bow tie" at the Pumpkin Run Nationals held at the Clermont County Fairgrounds. Among them was a 1961 Bel Air, a 1959 Impala, a 1958 Impala, a 1964 Impala, an El Camino Super Sport, a 1968 Impala, a 1955 210 station wagon, and a Chevy II.

Chevelle Muscled Its Way to the Pumpkin Run

 

Introduced in 1964, the Chevrolet Chevelle was a mid-sized car designed to be a family staple. While it looked the part of the family car, the Chevelle was ripe for the burgeoning muscle car trend. A variety of six- and eight-cylinder engines were available, it was the introduction of the Malibu SS trim that sent this Chevy model into the realm of muscle car. The Malibu would be so popular that it would earn a line of its own. Still, the Chevelle powered its way through three generations before finally seeing the last ones roll off the assembly lines in 1977. There were plenty of Chevelles at the Pumpkin Run Nationals sponsored by the Fastiques and held at the Clermont County Fairgrounds. Here are some of them.

Fords Rolled to the Pumpkin Run

 

From the early days of automobiles in the USA through World War II, cars and trucks from the Ford Motor Company were by far the biggest sellers in the country. Starting with the groundbreaking Model T, Ford, managed to set the pace for all automotive sales. But that massive lead slowly began to slip away. Many blamed Henry Ford's reluctance to change as other cars came out with more modern and convenient features. Then, when Henry did allow for changes, such as with the Model A, Ford was still barely keeping up with current technology. Following World War II, Ford slipped into second place behind Chevrolet as the top seller. Still, cars sporting the blue oval were extremely popular and there were plenty of them on hand for the Pumpkin Run Nationals held at the Clermont County Fairgrounds. Among those on hand was a slightly modified Galaxie 500, a 1957 Fairlane, a Galaxie 500 convertible, a Falcon coupe, a Falcon Club Wagon, another 1957 Fairlane, a couple 1967 Mercury Cougars, and a 1959 Edsel Corsair. 

Falcons Flew to the Pumpkin Run

 

For just over a decade, starting in 1960. Ford's entry level car was the highly successful Falcon. Built as a scaled down version of the Galaxie, the Falcon was one of the first compact cars in the USA and the first to be marketed by one of the Big Three automakers. The Falcon was so popular that there is a special show within the show at the Pumpkin Run Nationals just for that car and it's early offspring (not counting the Mustang which was partially made from the "bones" of the Falcon). Here are some of the Falcons that were at the Pumpkin Run.

Vintage Vehicles At the Pumpkin Run

 

With thousands of cars and trucks packing the Clermont County Fairgrounds, it's little wonder that the Pumpkin Run Nationals saw quite a few very early, vintage automobiles. Among them was a number of Fords such as a Model T, a Model 40, a Model A, another Model T, but also a 1931 Chevrolet Model AE was there along with a couple more Ford Model As. 

Truckin' to the Pumpkin Run

 

The Pumpkin Run Nationals has some limitations on which vehicles can attend. Only cars and trucks are eligible and they must be 50 years old or older. Since many early pickup trucks were true work horses, not a lot have survived. Still, a few made it to the event sponsored by the Fastiques Rod and Custom Car Club and held at the Clermont County Fairgrounds. Among them was a 1963 GMC Jimmy along with pickups from Ford, Chevy, Plymouth, and GMC.

MoPar Muscled to the Pumpkin Run

 

The Motor Parts division of the Chrysler Corporation, or MoPar, became the nickname primarily used to classify Dodge and Plymouth automobiles. While the Chrysler line was the halo, luxury branch of the company, Dodge and Plymouth made "family" cars but also some of the meanest muscle cars of that era. There were more than a few MoPar classics on hand for the Pumpkin Run Nationals. Among them was a first generation, 1966 Dodge Charger, a 1969 Plymouth Super Bee, a 1969 Road Runner convertible, a 1956 Plymouth Plaza, a Plymouth Satellite, another Plymouth Super Bee, a Dodge Coronet, a 1969 Coronet 500, and another Road Runner.