Event Records Shattered with the 2014 Carlisle Ford Nationals

CARLISLE, Pa. - June 10, 2014 - PRLog -- Everyone coming to the 2014 Carlisle Ford Nationals knew that this year’s show would be a big deal.  It was not, however; until the event commenced on June 6, that the reality of that vision would be known.  With the best weather anyone can remember at Carlisle, the weekend hosted over 3,000 Fords spanning the history of the brand and with gate numbers surpassing the 50,000 person mark, lots of people saw lots of cars under lots of sunshine all weekend long!  Simply put, the Carlisle Ford Nationals set marks unmatched since its initial offering in 1995.

From start to finish, the weekend showcased the past, present and future of the Ford brand.  Guests saw everything from early 1900s production Model A cars to pre-production 2015 offerings in the form of the Mustang, F-150 and Transit.  In between, some rare rides were showcased too including three Brewster cars, tractors, the Edsel and more.  Many enthusiasts showed off their limited edition cars as well, like one car owner within the Building T Special Edition Mustang display with his 40 of 150 Hertz/Penske Mustang and another who traveled from New Mexico to show off his Shelby Focus.  Guests came to Carlisle from as far away as Australia and people drove to Carlisle from as far west as Northern California.

Why did so many come to Carlisle?  The answer is simple – to see the Fords!   Weekend fun also included a special Mustang birthday party on Friday, autocross ride-alongs with Gateway Classic Mustang, a massive collection of Ford-themed guests including Steve Saleen, John Clor, Greg Moore, Dave Dempster, Marcie Cirpriani, “GT” Joey Limongelli, Ford engineers and designers, David Tom and many more.  Shopping within the swap meet and car corral was also a big draw, with vendors finding their best Ford pieces and parts to move in a face-to-face manner.

Saturday night brought downtown Carlisle to life as 300+ cars made their way into the town to cruise, park and revel in the automotive timeline on display.  The parade also hosted live music on the Red 102.3 stage with tunes from Borderline and the Colt Wilbur Band.  In addition, local shops and restaurants were packed into the late hours of the evening with Ford guests and community members enjoying a night on the town.

“I want to personally thank everyone who had a hand in this year’s event,” said event manager Ken Appell.  “From our special guests to our customers who came from all over to our staff, none of our weekend success could have been possible without them.  Most importantly, I want to thank Ford for their support of our event and for believing in Carlisle Events and the Carlisle Ford Nationals.  Having them at Carlisle each year means more than words can describe and I can’t wait to work with them and everyone else again next year when we feature the Thunderbird and Ford GT as well as the continued showcasing of the history of the Ford brand.  Thank you!”

As mentioned, next year’s event will spotlight the GT and T-Bird.  In addition, the event runs June 5-7, 2015 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds and will once again host test drives, a downtown parade, special guests, seminars and, of course, lots of cars and trucks created and manufactured by an all-American company - Ford!