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.

Trucks At the Pumpkin Run

 

The Pumpkin Run Nationals is open to all types of four wheel vehicles as long as they were built in 1974 or before. That includes trucks. And there were quite a few trucks on hand for this past year's event, including those from Dodge, Chevrolet, and Ford. And not all were basic pick-ups, either. Here are just a few of them.

There Were Bugs at the Pumpkin Run

 

The story of the People's Car in Germany is fairly well known. The government prior to World War II wanted an affordable car that anyone could buy and enjoy. Enter engineer Ferdinand Porsche who, along with his team, created what they called the Type 1 but the world would know as the Volkswagen Beetle. Affectionately known as "the bug," this car swept the world, selling massive numbers following the rescue of the factory by a British military officer. The VW Beetle really helped pull West Germany out of the financial ruin caused by the War. With so many Bugs sold, especially in America (and, yes, I owned one back in my high school days), there were quite a few on hand for this past year's Pumpkin Run Nationals. Here are some of the Beetles that were on hand at the Clermont County Fair Grounds for the event.

Back to the Pumpkin Run

 

In my attempt to post as many photos from as many different car events as possible, I am now going back to the biggest event in the region, the Pumpkin Run Nationals. The Pumpkin Run is held every year in late September or early October by the Fastiques Rod and Custom Car Club. The event is held at the Clermont County Fair Grounds and this past year it brought in over 3000 cars and trucks. To qualify, the vehicle has to be from 1974 or earlier. Let that sink in. The three day happening features not only a massive car show but also vendors, plenty of food, musicians, DJs, raffles, auctions, games for both adults and kids, and just about anything else one could imagine. This past year's event featured a Chevrolet Malibu, a 1944 Mercury Eight coupe, a 1944 Buick Super Eight sedan, a 1939 Buick, a 1968 Mercury Cyclone GT, a Packard 110, a Mercury sedan, and a 1934 Ford Cabriolet.