Most of you reading this probably already know about Carlisle. The city itself is host to several automotive themed shows and auctions throughout the year, but there’s one event in particular that takes place every spring which car enthusiasts on the east coast (and around the world) flock to. We don’t even refer to it by name. Months in advance, you’ll hear people simply ask, “You going to Carlisle this year?” or “Will I see you at Carlisle?”
It’s the Spring Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet, Corral, and Auction, and I’ve been going with my mother and grandfather almost every year for nearly 20 years. School and work has been missed for this pilgrimage (shh!). Indeed, for the antique “automophile,” the car hobby can become a sort of religion, and Carlisle is one of it’s sacred (though smaller) sites.
We jumped in the truck around 5:45 am Friday morning, empty backpacks and wish-lists in hand. Our arrival time was a little before 8:00 on this particularly chilly day, though, having braved snow and rain in years past, all we needed were cups of hot caffeine to come up with a plan of attack and get going. My parents headed in one direction, my grandfather and I in the other.
Whether you’re searching for chrome work, tools, accessories, books, new or original parts, an expert, a rare find, or a new obsession, Carlisle has it all. Over the year, we’ve found all of the above and then some, and yesterday was no exception. Some of our finds included parts for a ’72 MGB and a ’16 Overland, license plates, sanding tools, shop coats, rags, kneeling pads, an MG expert, and so much more.
After 2 trips back to the truck to empty our backpacks, we finally called it quits at 3:30. Despite having split into groups, all of us ended up trekking up and down every aisle, not wanting to miss a thing (at one time I think we estimated this to be about 9 miles but if anyone has an exact distance, my aching feet would love to know).
April 22 is the last day of the meet for anyone who hasn’t made it there, yet. As for me, I’m taking a day to recoup, and pretty soon I’ll be planning ahead for 2019!
~Angelica Yost –Webmaster, age 28