MoPar At the Pumpkin Run

 

MoPar, as the vehicles from the Chrysler Corporation, particularly the Dodge and Plymouth autos, is known, had a huge presence among the nearly 3000 cars and trucks that were on display at the 49th Pumpkin Run Nationals. The event, sponsored by the Fastiques Rod and Custom Car Club is the region's largest car event. Among the MoPar machines on hand was a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, a Plymouth Duster, a 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T, a Dodge Dart Demon, a Plymouth Satellite convertible, a Dodge Dart Swinger, and a Plymouth GTX.

Falcons Nested at the Pumpkin Run

 

When it debuted in 1960, the Ford Falcon was one of America's first official compact cars. Pre-dated only by the Rambler American, which debuted in 1958, the Falcon set the standard for small automobiles through its 11 year run. While the two-door and four-door sedans were the most popular, there were also popular station wagons as well as other vehicle types based on its underpinnings. Those include the Rancharo and the Econoline vans and trucks. The Falcon has a special place at the Pumpkin Run Nationals, essentially holding a sort of concours event of their own. Here are some of the many Falcon and Falcon based vehicles that were on hand for the 49th Pumpkin Run.

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.