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. 

Wrapping Up the Downtown Throwdown in Batavia

 

Today wraps up the posts from this past year's Downtown Throwdown that lined the main street of this small city with over 100 cars and trucks. Held on a beautiful September day, the event raised money for the Southwest Ohio VFW Memorial Team which helps to maintain the graves of veterans in the region. Among the cars on display was a Chrysler Newport, a Plymouth Valiant, a Jeep Cherokee, a Chevrolet Chevette, a GMC Sierra pickup truck, a 1970 Plymouth Super Bee, a Volkswagen Type 2 van. As always, let me know what you thought of the vehicles at this show by either leaving a comment (no ads, please, they just get deleted) or by dropping me an email at turnerbudds@yahoo.com. 

Corvettes Sailed into Batavia for the Downtown Throwdown

 

Today if you say corvette most people will think of the Chevrolet two-seater sports car introduced in 1953 as an attempt by General Motors to stave off the influx of European sports cars following World War II. But back then, with the wat still fresh in people's memories, the corvette was known as the smallest classification of warship. Perhaps that is why GM and Chevy chose the name, because the American company was going to war in a market in which the foreign "invaders" had a huge head start. The 'Vette, not only held its own but surpassed those imports. It continues to be a hugely popular automobile and while it is now in its eighth generation, previous models always show up at car events. That was true of the Downtown Throwdown in Batavia. Here are just some of the Corvettes that were on hand for the show.

Mustangs Galloped to Batavia

 

Though it technically wasn't the first actual pony car on the market, (the Plymouth Barracuda beat it by a few days), the Ford Mustang is the car most associated with that style of vehicle. It is also, without questions, the largest selling vehicle of that classification. The car's massive popularity is one reason why so many show up at car events all over the country. That held true for this past year's Downtown Throwdown in Batavia. Here are just some of the 'Stangs that were on hand for the show.