Car enthusiasts fuel the nation’s auto shows, auctions and automotive swap meets. Fueling the universal set of car enthusiasts are collectors with their collector cars and automotive projects. According to classic-car insurance leader Hagerty Group, there are more than 5 million collector cars in America and roughly 58 percent are owned by Baby Boomers, born from 1946 through 1964. Traditional wisdom has said that it is the Boomers as well as WWII vets in “The Silent Generation,” born from 1928 through 1945 have long made up the majority of collector and parts shows. However, that has been evolving for the past 20 years.

Several studies on the subject show that demographics include supporters of the performance aftermarket and collector car ownership, with 76 percent being male; and the average age, which was once around 60, has dropped to 54 with many in their low 40s and new enthusiasts even younger. As the classic car collecting and project building audience has grown younger, a recent survey shows that 67% of respondents say they have always loved cars, more than 50% say they have been collecting for 20 years or more. Owners also admit to spending an average of $12,000 on their hobby, and more than half drive the vehicles they collect and work on. Around 85 percent are college educated, 78 percent are married and 42 percent are retired, but the Millenials, those born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, is larger demographically than the remaining Baby Boomers, and are beginning to drive the genre. It is slowly beginning to evolve in that direction.

Several of the largest automotive collector car parts flea markets and swap meets are put on by Carlisle Events, at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds, begun on September 26, 1974, when 600 vendors took up 800 spaces, and 13,000 spectators attended “Post War '74”. Within a few years, the Carlisle Fairgrounds had become a collector car enthusiast mecca, and the Fall Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet & Car Corral and Spring Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet & Car Corral have become sellouts on the 82-acre show site, drawing as many as 100,000 fans for a weekend. Scaled down a bit for Covid-19 restrictions, the two shows still draw big crowds and they continue to attend Carlisle Events shows out of loyalty, love for the genre and various other motivations.

Carlisle’s location may be part of the draw, as it sits within 250 miles of 58 million Americans, and within 300 miles of 65 million citizens. Of those, many are car enthusiasts who still come to shows rather than buying on-line because at a show, they can see, touch, smell and hear the items they came for, and they can talk about the parts and treasures they need with countless other enthusiasts they may have just met or have seen over the years at previous shows. Carlisle’s audience comes to be part of the show. You can’t get that on-line.

Tim Demark, Carlisle’s Vendor Manager said, many come for the merchandise the vendors display. “We display anything and everything for anything on wheels. Form what might be expected to what you’d never expect to see. The collectors are the stars of the show, those enthusiasts who collect or do restorations and are nostalgic in continuing their traditions of coming to the shows they were introduced to by their parents or grandparents. Maybe they grew up with a certain car, and that classic car still triggers them. Now they can put one together or restore a car or truck to the way they remember it. It has become their passion.”

Demark also recognizes that the vendors are a huge draw. The Spring show has 2800 vendors, from aftermarket to reconditioned parts to original parts to car care products. Classsic used parts from tires to the top of the car, new parts for currents to antique parts for classics; they encompass all projects and needs.”

Ed Buczeskie, Carlisle Events Spring and Fall Show Manager said, “I think there are a couple of things that make a swap meet attractive to buyers compared to online. First, there is the social aspect. Many people come primarily for the camaraderie. In some cases it’s to meet up with old friends, though many travel to the event with friends in order to spend time together. I really think this is an important thing to recognize.”

“Many attend a swap meet to be surprised … to find things that they weren’t looking for and/or didn’t know they needed. Another reason to attend is the thrill of the hunt. They might find something cheap that they can flip for a few bucks. They might find something that’s in their wheelhouse but they don’t really need it. However, it’s just so cheap that they can’t pass it up. Or, they might find something they need for a project that’s on the back burner but it’s such a good deal that they buy it now.”

Buczeskie believes the attendees love the one-to-one aspect of swap meets. “Nothing beats dealing with someone face-to-face,” he said. “There are too many ways to get scammed online – as either a buyer or seller. It’s also frustrating when you find something online; make arrangements to see it, only to find out it sold because someone got there first with the cash. At a swap meet, whoever sees it first has first shot at it. If you walk away, it might not be there when you go back. It’s just more fair to everyone. Also, when buying in person you know that you’re getting exactly what you think you’re getting. There is no misrepresentation on the seller’s part. No failure to disclose damage – it’s up to YOU as the buyer to look it over AND to have done your homework on the part. If you’ve done your due diligence, it’s pretty hard to get scammed when dealing face-to-face.”

According to the Buczeskie, “Buying at a swap meet is an experience. It’s entertainment to a degree. It’s more than just a means to buy car stuff.”

Demark agreed, “People come for the conversation, the stories, and the experience. It’s entertainment. They know that when they come to Carlisle, to expect the unexpected. In the collectible world or the time period they are passionate about, they can find it. And our attendees tell us they often have more in common their fellow attendees than they do with their family. That is part of it … they ARE family.”

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>

Every February a trio of airplane hangars come to life at the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus in Lakeland, Florida.  The event, a two-day classic and collector car auction powered by Carlisle Auctions, hosts 400+ pieces of automotive history along with buyers, sellers and a hard-working staff.  The Lakeland Winter Collector Car Auction, slated for February 19-20, is a means to connect buyers and sellers with an investment that truly accelerates.  More so, the auction is a means to start or add to an existing collection.  Some rides are head turners but are ultimately daily drivers.  Others are top of the line, best of show type consignments.  In between, there are a few that the owner can simply have fun with along the way. 

The auction runs the gambit of production and history, so it’s only fitting that it returns to SUN n’ FUN following a most historic year.  In February 2020, Carlisle Auctions topped the $4 million sales mark as part of its Winter AutoFest offering some 10 months ago.  While that was a good kind of history, obviously a different kind has been gripping the world in other ways since about three weeks after that event.  Fast forward to now and Carlisle Auctions is excited to return to SUN n’ FUN to present its 2021 event, February 19-20.  The excitement starts at 10:30 a.m. daily.  There are THREE great ways to bid and buy too, in-person, on the phone and ALL NEW, online.   

Carlisle Auctions finds success due to its experienced staff, competitive buyers and sellers fees and its FREE UNLESS SOLD guarantee.  The sooner someone can commit to the auction, the more time and opportunities exist to promote and market select consignments.  Further, online bidding makes the chance of a sale that much easier because as soon as a consignment is received and processed; it becomes eligible for online bidding.  Pre-registered bidders have a chance to save upwards of 50% and again, can start bidding on online inventory as soon as their bidder credentials are processed. 

2021 auction highlights include the aforementioned 400+ consignments PLUS an all-truck hour planned for a time slot TBA on Friday.  There’s also a handful of resto mods which should be some of the higher bid consignments too.  Mix these great elements into the special feeling of Florida in February and the 2021 auction is shaping up to be another must-attend event backed by Carlisle Auctions. 

For the February 2021 auction, there will be some modifications due to COVID.  In compliance with CDC suggestions and state of Florida regulations, Carlisle Auctions will offer added hand washing stations, hand sanitizing options, encourage social distancing and the wearing of masks.  The event will be accessible to guests (buyers, sellers, staff, business partners and spectators) per guidelines in place at the time of the February auction.  Even though there are indoor elements associated with the auction, the facility in fact has open hangar doors on both ends and breezeways on both sides.  Further, since this is an airplane hangar, there is more than enough built-in opportunities to social distance. 

For guests looking to enjoy the auction but not attend in 2021, it’s important to utilize the various options to bid and buy.  In fact, with confirmed consignments already listed, online bidding has commenced and will run throughout the auction.  For details on buying or selling with Carlisle Auctions in Lakeland or any other event on the 2021 auction schedule, health safety measures and more, visit CarlisleAuctions.com or call 717-960-6400.

Finally, the auction and the annual Air & Coach Concours display are the ONLY parts of the originally scheduled Winter AutoFest Lakeland 2021 event that will take place.  For 2021, Winter AutoFest has been canceled.  The automotive flea market, car corral, car show elements and more will return in 2022 bigger and better than ever.  

For model-year 1971, Chevrolet launched the Vega H-Body to compete with Ford, AMC and econo-imports, and it was greeted with enthusiasm from the auto press. The subcompact drew early raves and was named 1971 “Car of the Year” by Motor Trend and “Best Economy Sedan” in 1971, 1972 and 1973 by Car and Driver readers. Vega, also called “the H Body,” had a 97.0-inch-wheelbase, and the econocar saw more than two million versions of Vega – Notchback, Hatchback, Kammback, Panel Express Delivery and Cosworth -- produced between 1971 and 1977, with a high-water mark of 460,374 in 1974.

Named after the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, Vega flamed out in seven years and was cut from the line. The car quickly became one of those love-it-or-hate-it vehicles, and its supporters were equaled by its detractors. But 50 years later, the Vega H-Body remains a classic for many reasons.

The Chevrolet Vega was conceived in 1959, when compact cars were beginning to sell in America, with the market served largely by the Volkswagen Beetle, Datsun and Toyota, as well as the American Studebaker Lark and Rambler American. Chevrolet entered the compact fray in 1960 with Corvair, to compete with Ford Falcon and Plymouth Valiant, and all three hit the ground running. Other small cars were not compacts as we see them, and were adaptations of mid-size sedans -- Chevrolet Nova, Ford Maverick and AMC Hornet were among those – and the public yearned for a true subcompact.

By the end of the decade, John DeLorean had been reassigned from head of Pontiac Division to the Chevrolet Division, and took over Vega (among other challenges). Vega was already set to build, and DeLorean added a few tweaks, but the engineers and designers shipped it, pretty much as they imagined it when it went live in September 1970. A series of teaser ads led up its launch, with four available variants of the H-Body. The Notchback sedan and Kammback wagons shared rooflines (and thus doors and other components); the more popular Hatchback had a lower roofline and shared a fold-down rear seat with the Kammback. The cars were identical from the cowl forward. The Panel Express was designed to be a light delivery truck and a GT version of Vega could be ordered, which brought a little more power (110hp vs. 90) through use of a two-barrel carburetor and slightly “warmer” cam grind, along with full instrumentation on the dash.

H-Bodies, introduced with the ’71 Vega were available with various GM engines, solid rear axle and unibody construction. By 1973, Pontiac Astre, a rebadged version of Vega launched in Canada and hit the U.S. market in 1975. Other H-bodies included Chevrolet Monza, Buick Skyhawk and Oldsmobile Starfire for model-year 1975, and Pontiac Sunbird’s H-Body came into play for 1976.

The Vega and the Astre were discontinued at the end of the 1977 model year, while the Monza, Sunbird, Skyhawk, and Starfire continued through 1980. The GM J platform replaced the H platform in 1981, though the H platform was designated for full-size GM front-wheel-drive cars in the 1980s, and served as the basis for GM’s second-generation downsized full-sized sedans including Buick LeSabre, Oldsmobile 88 and Pontiac Bonneville.

The base Vega engine was a single-barrel 90-hp 140 CID aluminum-block L4. A two-barrel version delivered 110 hp, and in 1972, a prototype that never saw the light of day, had an all-aluminum 302  small-block V-8. Chevrolet hand-built 5000 122 CID L4 Cosworth Twin-Cam engines for the 1975 Cosworth Twin-Cam Vega. And in 1973, GM made plans to install the GM-rotary Wankel engine in for the 1975 Monza 2+2, but the engine was canceled.

Manufactured at Lordstown Assembly in Ohio, and South Gate Assembly in California, as well as in plants in Canada and Mexico, the basic Vega was priced at $3249 in 1971, but lofty goals helped create the sports-inclined Cosworth that was priced at $5918 in 1975, only $892 below Corvette, and was soon priced out of the market.

The Chevrolet Vega pioneered a number of product development processes at GM, including employing new production methods and technologies, and it introduced a novel means of rail shipment – vertically on specially designed rail cars, which could hold 30 cars instead of the 18 a standard auto carrier held.

Vega was good-looking, a decent driver and sold in big numbers early on, but uninspired engineering tweaks and the focus to keep a low price, soon fueled Vega’s demise. When Vega displayed a propensity for rust after cold East-Coast winters and salted roads, and corrosion even in West Coast Vegas, the public changed praise to derision. Additionally, an inadequate cooling system led to oil burning, coolant leaks, and dead engines.

The luster had worn off and Vega was discontinued. But just as the star it was named after, Vega shone brightly on the automotive scene and deserves classic respect, as we celebrate 50 years since it hit and took over the car world’s consciousness.

To learn more about the 2021 Carlisle GM Nationals, special displays of the weekend, including the 50th birthday of the Vega and H Platform and more, visit the car show page direct via the Carlisle Events web page.  Register to show or purchase spectator tickets too.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

Central Florida is home to many great entertainment options.  This includes family fun hot spots such as Lego Land, Sea World and Magic Kingdom just to name a few.  There’s also a bevy of non-theme park related fun such as boating, fishing, nightlife and plenty of car/automotive themed activities.  One such car event, Winter AutoFest, is held annually at the SUN n’ FUN Expo Campus in Lakeland each February. 

The event, powered by Pennsylvania based automotive promoter Carlisle Events, has taken place in Lakeland since 2013 and has grown exponentially since its inception.  The three-day offering includes a quintet of car show options, an automotive flea market and two-day classic and collector car auction.   Following a best-ever 2020 offering the Carlisle Events team was eager to return to Lakeland, February 19-21, 2021 for Winter AutoFest, however; the Coronavirus had other plans.

As with many aspects of the past 8+ months, Carlisle Events and Winter AutoFest 2021 have fallen victim to Coronavirus.  Because of ongoing COVID related concerns, the planned 2021 event has been canceled for 2021 ONLY!  The event as it’s been known and recognized for the past few years WILL RETURN IN FULL in 2022, running February 25-27. 

While Winter AutoFest has been put in the garage for an extended period of time, there are two aspects of the weekend that will continue.  First and foremost, the auction element of the event will be happening at the facility during its originally planned dates.  Carlisle Auctions, the sister company of Carlisle Events, will move forward with its two-day classic and collector car auction, Lakeland Winter Collector Car Auction.  This socially distant event takes place on the SUN n’ FUN Expo Campus grounds, within a trio of spacious hangers February 19-20.  Start time is 10:30 a.m. daily and interested parties can bid and buy THREE great ways, in person, online and on the phone. More details on this event will be shared in the coming days via a separate news release.

Feature two is the annual Air & Coach Concours.  This gathering of luxury motorcoaches has become a popular destination for those who enjoy the motorcoach lifestyle.  The $299 participation cost includes three overnights at the spacious SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus, TWO bidder’s passes for the auction, plus four coupons, power hook ups and more. 

For complete details on the 2021 Carlisle Events, visit CarlisleEvents.com or call 717-243-7855.  Enthusiasts interested in auction specific information should visit CarlisleAuctions.com or call 717-960-6400. 

While cars have appeared in movies since the 1920s, cool rides and powerful ponies have been action stars since Steve McQueen raced the hills of San Francisco with his 1968 Mustang in “Bullitt.” James Bond’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5 might have beaten it to the screen, but Fords have been movie stars for more than 50 years. Recently, the movie “Ford vs. Ferrari” featured more than 30 different Ford race cars, but the cars in the film were Cobra Replicas from Shelby American and GT40MkIIs from Superformance Cars as well as replica Cobra Daytona Coupes. The 1960 Ford Country Squire in green was genuine.

So let’s get back to real Fords on screen.

We all have our favorite movie cars. Top 10 lists are arbitrary and you may have your own favorites… so send them in … but here are mine:

I like Pony cars, so my tops on the list are Mustangs. Arguably, the most filmed car in movie history is the Ford Mustang. In its 57 years of Pony Car might, the Mustang has starred in more than 500 movies. Here are 32 of them:

Amityville: The Demon (1965-6 Mustang coupe)

Batman and Robin (1964 Shelby 289 Cobra)

Beverly Hills Cop III (1966 Mustang convertible)

Bullitt (1968 Mustang Fastback)

Curse of the Black Widow (1968 Mustang convertible, 1967 Mustang coupe)

Diamonds Are Forever (1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1)

Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (1967 Mustang Fastback)

Fast Food (1966 Mustang coupe)

Fast Lane Blues (1966 Mustang convertible)

Fatal Beauty (1965 Mustang convertible)

Gas Pump Girls (1966 Mustang coupe)

General's Daughter, The (1965 Mustang coupe)

Goldfinger (1964 Mustang)

Gone in 60 Seconds (1967 Shelby GT500)

Grand Prix (1966 Shelby GT350H)

Hitchhiker Vol. 3, The (1971 Mustang Convertible)

Hollywood High (1968 Mustang coupe)

I Am Legend (2007 Mustang Shelby GT500 )

Immortal, The (1968 Shelby GT500KR Mustang)

Implicated (1966 Mustang convertible)

In a Cat's Eye (Classic Mustangs)

In Crowd, The (1966 Mustang coupe)

Incubus, The (1967 Mustang coupe)

Independence Day (1965 Mustang convertible)

J. F. K. (1965 Mustang convertible)

Jocks (1967 Mustang convertible)

John Wick and John Wick 2 (1969 Mustang Mach 1)

Last American Hero, The (1967 Mustang Fastback)

Last Boy Scout (1965 Mustang convertible)

Last Don, The (1965 Mustang coupe)

Transformers (2005 Mustang)

War of the Worlds (1966 Shelby GT350H )

Getting down to cars that made the list …

1. “Bullitt “– 1968 Ford Mustang GT390 Fastback: Highland Green, 325 hp, 395 c.i.  Camera angles had you feel as though you were in the driver’s seat as Steve McQueen chased the bad guys. One of the two Mustangs used during filming was auctioned for $3.7 million.

2. “John Wick” -- 1969 Ford Mustang: A Mach 1 that is identified in the movie as a Boss 429, is driven by Keanu Reeves in the stunts. Fishtailing and slamming into other vehicles … the assassin didn’t like anyone messing with his vehicle.

3. “Grease” -- 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible: Greased Lightning: Chopped fenders, Plexiglas hood, and Kandy Red, John Travolta sings about it. Though he sings of “four on the floor,” this is an automatic.

4. “Thelma and Louise” -- 1966 Ford Thunderbird: Two outlaw ladies jump off  a cliff and into the Grand Canyon is as hot as the action on the screen. Brad Pitt and Geena Davis signed the armrest and sun visor, respectively after the shoot.

5. “American Graffiti” -- 1932 Ford Coupe: This Deuce Coup is a Canary yellow highboy is powered by a Chevy 327 V-8, and sits a little tall in the rear. In a drag scene, Paul LeMat beats Harrison Ford’s ’55 Chevy off the line.

6. “Starsky and Hutch” -- 1976 Gran Torino: Two cars, a 1974 and a ’76 used in the film. An original from the 1970s TV series was used as the template. Mag wheels, custom paint. Led Ford to produce 1300 Starsky and Hutch replicas for sale. Original was 435-hp 360 c.i. beast.

7. “Jurassic Park” -- 1992 Ford Explorer XLT UN46: In the park scenes that took on a T-Rex, the cars that appear to be Jeeps are really Ford Explorers, customized by Hollywood legend George Barris. Hey, it took on a T-Rex.

8. “Gone in 60 Seconds 1974: -- 1967 Shelby GT500, Eleanor:  Dupont Pepper Grey 1967 Ford Mustang fastback is depicted as a Shelby GT500. Powered by a 400-hp Ford V-8 31 c.i. crate engine. Completes a 128-foot jump.

9. “Mad Max” -- 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon: A supercharger (cosmetic and nonfunctional) sticks out of the hood. A 351 c.i. V-8 powered the Interceptor and it featured a new nose on the front end, huge side flares, and fat tire.

10. “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift -- 1967 Ford Mustang: Yeah, one more Mustang, but powered by a turbocharged Nissan RB26, engine. Faced bad guys, bullets and action … lots of it.

Honorable mention:

Diamonds Are Forever - 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1: Driven by Sean Connery as James Bond. With 429-cubic-inch Cobra Jet V8s … tilted on two wheels in one scene.

Take This Job And Shove It / Roadhouse – Bigfoot 1 and 7: Monster truck. Just cool.

Dumb and Dumber -- 1984 Ford Econoline, Dumb and Dumber – The Shaggin’ Wagon: Tan carpet was added inside and out, along with a tail, floppy ears, legs, nose, whiskers, and tongue. The van’s windshield functioned as the driver’s and dog’s eyes, and you had to lift a rear leg to reach the gas cap.

The Big Lebowski -- 1973 Ford Gran Torino: A redesign of the ’72 model with a longer, over-exaggerated front nose. Also used in an episode of The X Files.

National Lampoon’s Vacation -- 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire: Pea-green paint, faux-wood paneling, and eight headlights.  Made a 50-foot jump in the desert.

Since cars can be the star of a movie or show and HAVE ALWAYS been recognized as the stars at the Carlisle Ford Nationals, presented by Meguiar's, 2021 brings the stars together with Carlisle Comic-Car-Con.  At Carlisle in June you can see your favorite Comic, TV, and Movie cars pop off the pages or out of the screen and into one of the special displays in Building T.  Event planners are still gathering cars for the showcase, but if you have one that fits the theme, be sure to visit the event page direct at CarlisleEvents.com to learn more, apply for consideration, purchase tickets and more! 

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.