by: George Achorn, photos by Anthony Garbis

At the foot of the Appalachian Mountains and butted up against the historic Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Carlisle Fairgrounds are in the middle of nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The closest thing to a metropolis within commuting distance of the place is not-exactly-sprawling Harrisburg, but it’s circa three hours drive to NYC, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, making it easily attainable for a car-geek with an empty weekend and looking for a good time.

Unlike many a civically-owned central PA fairground, the rolling grass and tarmac covered spread in this small suburban town is owned by Carlisle Productions – a company that makes its business case with car shows of all types held every other weekend throughout the summer. There’re the gargantuan Carlisle Spring and Carlisle Fall autojumbles, All-GM, All-Ford, All-Chrysler, All-Truck, All-Corvette, all gatherings of motorheads of every variety. There’s a motorcycle event and an event called Performance and Style for the sport compact scene and sometimes cars that are anything but… and there’s also the most eclectic – the Import & Kit Replicar Nationals (I&K/R).



In the beginning, I&K/R was just the Import show, but thinner years caused a reshuffling and the demand for a Kit Car event meant a two-for-one – an odd coupling that not-surprisingly raised the on-site Fiero count.

The pairing seems unlikely, except maybe when the weak-in-comparison Porsche showing is bolstered by faux-Speedster and 550 Spyder owners fiercely enthusiastic about their cars that otherwise might be given the hairy eyeball at traditional Porsche events.

Like the fiberglass skinned look-alikes of Stuttgart’s finest, I&K/R seems to thrive on the marques that don’t benefit from many of their own events. It technically encompasses every import brand under the sun, every kit and replica out there…. plus honorary digs for the Pontiac Fiero given its popularity with the faux-Ferrari set.

If you’re a regular Saabophile then you are likely familiar with Carlisle. It’s been a staple on the calendar for years with Saab dominating the attendance of the event over-and-over.



Despite wet weather over two of the three days this event encompasses, this year attracted an impressive mix of Saabs. GM’s heritage division again returned this year with an impressive mix of their own ultra-pristine collection of Swedish metal. Among the private owners, there were the regulars – familiar faces and familiar cars, and there were also plenty of newcomers. Veteran or newb, the group tends to be a family by the weekend’s end.

With marques like Jaguar, Porsche, Aston and the like on the field, you might expect a concours style event, though a stuffy gathering of seersuckers and Kentucky derby hats this is definitely is not. The atmosphere at the show is casual and relaxed, un-judged and with cars present for the appreciation of their owners and admirers.

On the kit side of the field, we were told by a representative of the Ford sportscar replica experts Factory Five that this is one of the best events for their kind. There are others of the ilk held at venues like Knott’s Berry Farm in California, but Carlisle tends to draw more cars and more industry representatives. The latter is certainly most evident, with show halls filled with most every major kit and replica manufacturers – it’s a good bet then that the Lamborghini you’ve just spotted really isn’t a Lamborghini.

A keystone of Carlisle’s draw is also the all-inclusive nature of the weekend itself… beyond the eclectic mix of cars. You can take a turn at the wheel at their auto-cross or drag racing. There are rows of vendors and a corral of cars up for sale to peruse, or seminars for the truly curious. There’s even on-site camping and a gate open all night, which most naturally leads to after-hours revelry celebrated in ways you can only imagine. Two-stroke Saabs drag race up the aisles when security isn’t looking, while Audi enthusiasts down beer from an overhead water cooler tank channeling brew to all four corners of the contraption – no irony there.

With so much behind the fence of the Carlisle Fairgrounds on the weekend of the Import & Kit/Replica Nationals, it’s hard to imagine that there’s not something for most every car geek out there to appreciate. Fortunately though for those who aren’t only turned on by Saabs, six-wheel Land Rovers or Cobra replicas, there are plenty of Carlisle weekends still planned for the summer. Leaves on the trees in this sleepy little Pennsylvania town won’t change before even more take part. Next up: All-Ford, followed by All-GM, All-Chrysler, Bike Fest and All-Corvette. Unfortunately, there’s no All-Saab weekend yet, though we suspect there’s a downright huge crowd under a large cluster of tents has something to say about that.