June 2021 • By Marcus Cervantes Photos courtesy Marcus Cervantes and Ford Performance
Presented by H and H Flatheads & Micks Paint

Carlisle, Pa. - Each year in the first weekend of June, Ford enthusiasts from all around the world head to the east coast of the United States for a full blue oval weekend at the Carlisle Ford Nationals. From Mustang to Mavericks, Broncos, and F-Series, if it was produced by Ford Motor Company there is a good chance you’ll find it here. This year, the Carlisle staff was proud to announce they had a record breaking show with a total of 3,241 registered show cars. Not only was this a new record for the Ford Nationals, but also the largest event to have ever been held on the Carlisle Fairgrounds. A key factor in bringing in this massive amount of vehicles includes the special displays, anniversaries, reunions, and Ford Clubs that are invited to the show.

When thinking of a Ford show, your mind may go right to Mustang, but that is just a hint of what you’ll find. At Carlisle, the pony car does have the heaviest presence on the show field taking up several grassy sections. There are rows for every one of the six generations to ensure everyone wanting to display gets the opportunity. However, the show does feature a high amount of diversity of Ford Product. When walking around the outer edges of the show field, you find many other name plates such as the F-Series Trucks, Broncos, Mercury, Focus, Fiesta, and even some that were never sold in the United states such as the Ford Sierra Cosworth.

Scattered in with each vehicle, you will most likely find an enthusiast club under a white tent at the end of the section. Each year, Carlisle events invite enthusiast clubs in order to make the show larger and keep support of the corresponding vehicles alive. Some of the largest clubs, such as the Red Mustang Registry have upwards of 60 vehicles in their display and host mini-show’s within the larger show field. Although Clubs are not required to compete, Ford Performance hosts an annual “Coolest” Club hangout award, which is awarded on Saturday toward the end of the show. This year Venom Invasion took home the prize with their Mardi Gras themed tent and display.

With Ford vehicles being produced for longer than the last 100 years, there is always an anniversary of a specific vehicle, package, or race milestone to be celebrated each year at the Carlisle Ford Nationals. This year the list included the 50th Anniversary of the Stroppe Baja Bronco, 50th birthday of Big Horse Mustangs (1971-73), 50th Birthday of the Ford Pinto, and a special display aptly named the Carlisle Comic Con. We visited the Stroppe display and found some interesting stories like one owner from Iowa whose goal was to visit the lower 48 states with his wife in their 1971 Baja Bronco. We also met Willie Stroppe, son of legendary Baja racer Bill Stroppe, and heard some great stories about building and racing the capable Broncos in their Signal Hill, California location. Willie operated Bill Stroppe and Son, Inc for many years in a continued partnership with Ford Motor Company conducting brake testing in LA traffic among other things. The company relocated to Long Beach, California to continue building highly competent vehicle and continue working with clients.

If you prefer to be behind the wheel showing what your FoMoCo vehicle can do, then the Carlisle events team has the perfect thing for you. Head up the hill near the north end of the grounds and you’ll find the Gateway Mustang autocross track. Throughout the show, you can bring your ford to the track for free timed autocross runs. If you’re looking to turn up the competition factor, you can choose to enter the Real Street shootout. Simply bring a helmet, pass tech, and make the fastest runs and you’ll be taking home cash prizes from Carlisle events. This year the fastest car was a modified 1994 Mustang GT, followed by a 2016 Mustang, then a 2016 Shelby GT350 in third.

If you have yet to make it out to the Carlisle Ford Nationals, we highly recommend all car enthusiasts mark it down on your calendar for next year. The 2022 version of the show will take place June 3 - 5, and tickets for show vehicles, vendor spaces, and for sale vehicles are now available on the Carlisle Events website.