Cars Flood the Clermont County Fairgrounds

 

Early this past fall nearly 3000 cars and trucks flooded the Clermont County Fairgrounds as part of the 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals. It was a beautiful day with near perfect weather bringing out cars and viewers alike. The event, sponsored by the Fastiques Rod and Custom Car Club, raises money for numerous charities, particularly the Shriners' Children's Hospital. Among the cars on display was a Plymouth Special De Luxe, a Chrysler coupe, a Buick Eight, a Buick Skylark, a Chrysler Newport, a Plymouth Valient, a 1971 Oldsmobile 442, and a 1946 Plymouth P15 Special Deluxe. 

Bugs Made It to the Pumpkin Run

 

Volkswagen is a global force in the automotive world. But there was a time that it was seen as an affordable car for people in a struggling economy. Germany in the 1930 was hurting still following its loss in World War I when the government looked to have a small, affordable car built. The answer was the "people's car" or Volkswagen. The Type 1, known by most as the Beetle, served that purpose. But World War II saw an end of production and if it hadn't been for a British military officer who saw the vehicle's potential, the name could have disappeared. The VW, though, helped West Germany recover from the post war depression and soon people all over the world were driving those funny little cars. The 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals saw quite a few Beetles as well as some of the other models from the brand. Here are just some of them.

Corvettes At the Pumpkin Run

 

America's famed sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, is now in its eighth generation. But only cars from the first three generations, C1, C2, and parts of C3, were allowed to enter the 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals. That's because the event, hosted by the Fastiques Rod and Custom Car Club only allowed cars made in 1974 or earlier to take part. Still, about 3000 cars and trucks showed up. Here are just some of the Vettes on hand that day.

Trucks Rolled Into the Pumpkin Run Nationals.

 

Today it seems that every other driveway has a pickup truck parked in it. These have become everyday drivers. Back in the day, trucks were workhorses. For that reason alone, many of the trucks from 50 or more years ago have disappeared. Thankfully, there are those who have managed to keep them up and running. There were quite a few old trucks on hand for the 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals, among them was a Chevrolet Custom 10, a Ford F-3, a Ford Bronco, a 1972 Jeep 4000, a 1966 Dodge A100, a Dodge Power Wagon S, a Chevrolet, and a Jeep pickup truck.

Thunderbirds Rose Up At the Pumpkin Run

 

Though Ford never said that their Thunderbird was a direct competitor to the Chevrolet Corvette, most people saw it that way. Introduced in 1955 as a two-seat sports car, Ford marketed it as a "personal luxury car." In the beginning a new generation of the T-Bird was introduced every three years, and each saw the car grow in dimensions. That is up until the ninth generation introduced in 1983. Production was halted following the 10th generation which ran through the 1997 model year. Then, in 2002, an 11th generation was released and had a very retro look and feel. The early T-Birds are popular among old car enthusiasts, and many were on hand for the 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals. Here are just some of them.

The Pumpkin Run Nationals Raises Money For Multiple Organizations

 

The Pumpkin Run Nationals, the region's largest car event, not only features thousands of cars and trucks but also has music, food, raffles, auctions, vendors, a car corral, and lots more. Put on by the Fastiques Rod and Custom Car Club, the event raises money for a number of different charities. The largest is the Shriner's Children's Hospital. But area schools and civic organizations benefit from the three day even as well. Among the nearly 3000 vehicles on display at the 49th annual event was a Chevrolet Chevy II, a Chevy Chevelle, a Ford Fairlane, a 1938 Chevrolet coupe, a Ford Maverick, a Chevy Biscayne, a Plymouth Barracuda, a Plymouth Satellite, and an Impala.