German Car Zone

Each year, Carlisle Productions holds automotive events throughout the warmer months. Known best for their bi-annual auto jumble and genre-specific events (like all-Ford, all-GM, all-Chrysler and all-truck), it is the Import and Kit/Repica event that is the most eclectic. It is a home for orphans of all nationalities and generations- brands and genres of cars that normally wouldn’t draw out a big enough crowd in and of themselves to warrant a show of their own on a Carlisle scale.



Orphans they may be, but they're far from unloved. In fact, the more niche you expect them to be, the larger the following they seem to draw. When clubs for Saabs and Fieros are some of the biggest attractions, you know you’re in for something you won’t see every day.



What’s that? Fiero you say? That’s neither import nor kit car. No, but many a Fiero gave up its composite skin so that a Designer Imposter exoticar could start a new life. The sheer number of Fier-arri Testarossas at Carlisle is staggering, complete with owners who you suspect dress in pastel shirts and white Tommy Bahama suits on weekends to live out their MIami Vice fantasies.

Fier-arris may have passed their prime, but in their heyday they started a trend, drawing out the Fiero-supporting cottage industry, and in turn drawing out the actual Fiero fans who are most avid and appreciative of the unique Pontiac in its original form.



The Fiero is but one of the many cult cars that attracts unusual enthusiasts to the Carlisle Import and Kit/Replica show. Audis come in large numbers; in fact, the Audi contingent is an atypically strong showing, especially when you consider how few Volkswagen attend. In the Subaru field, you’re more apt to find a raised vintage Brat than an Impreza, which should be even more of a hint at what you’ll find at Carlisle.



Volvo drew an exceptionally large number this year. Carlisle has always been a good show for Volvo owners, but the perfect storm of the Volvo Club of America national meet, combined with a vintage collection from Volvo itself, strong showings from members of various Volvo website forums, and tuners like Heico Sportiv helped bring what appeared to be more than three hundred cars.



Carlisle always marks the Saab club’s national meet, and the other Swedish badge consistently does well here as a result. Supporting the efforts of the enthusiasts, parent-company GM’s heritage arm brought out a comprehensive collection of their own Saabs, adding no less than eighteen cars to the already thick Saab show field.



Porsche, BMW and MINI owners appear in much smaller numbers than you might expect. But these brands have always had a stronger club network, often with other events competing for the same time slot as the Carlisle weekend. For the other brands, Carlisle is the big weekend. Nevertheless, there were many fine examples wearing crests, roundels and wings.



Of course, kit cars are also a big part of the Carlisle event, and entire halls on the fairgrounds are dedicated to the specialty car industry. These aren't just Ferrari-bodied Fieros anymore; more serious replicas of Porsches, Cobras and Lamborghinis are the norm today. Look inside and you’d have likely found new models such as Beck’s new Porsche 904, a 356 Coupe by JPS Motorsports, and even a steel-bodied ’57 Chevy convertible replica by Freese Motorcars. Even the seldom-rare classic Cobra replica had some new faces to show, including one in handsome blue and orange Gulf livery.



Most interesting in the replica hall for a Bimmerphile might have been the Lamborghini replica chassis sporting an engine from Munich. No, it’s no M1 replica, but it’s still an interesting idea for those who wish BMW still built a mid-engined supercar.

One of the more random finds was spotted atop a nondescript rented table in the middle of the replica hall. The presentation may have been modest, but the performance potential was anything but. Hartley Enterprises was showing off a 2.8-liter V8 made with Suzuki Hayabusa heads that’ll knock out 400 horsepower peak at 9,500 RPM before hitting its 10,800 RPM redline. Put that in your kit and smoke it.



Like most of their events, the Carlisle Import Kit/Replica Nationals span three days. That’s a good thing, as it’ll take you more than a day to see everything, from the show fields and halls, to the rows of vendors, car corral and more. Lucky they offer on-site camping, which can also be spelled P-A-R-T-Y if you’re so inclined.



Orphans on the lawn, or misunderstood treasures? Either way, these cars and this crowd are an unusual lot. Put them all together, and you have one impressive family gathering open to all types of automotive enthusiast.
Carlisle Import Kit/Replica Nationals – A.K.A. the Carlisle Home for Orphans

Each year, Carlisle Productions holds automotive events throughout the summer. Known best for their bi-annual auto jumble, as well as dedicated events for automotive genres like all-Ford, all-GM, all-Chrysler and all-truck, it is the Import Kit/Repica event that might be described most eclectic . It is a home for orphans - brands and genres of cars that normally wouldn’t draw out a big enough crowd in and of themselves to warrant a show of their own on a Carlisle scale.

Orphans they may be, but these tousle-haired brands are not unloved. In fact, the more niche you’d expect them to be, the more they tend to draw a following. When clubs for Saabs and Fieros tend to be some of the biggest attractions, you know you’re in for something you won’t see every day.



What’s that? Fiero you say. That’s neither import nor kit car. No, but many a Fiero gave its ribbed-for-your-pleasure skin so that a designer imposter Italian exoticar could start a new life. Just like the red-headed little orphan Annie, there are more than a few red-headed Fier-arri Testarossas out there for the guys who like to dress up in pastel shirts and white Tommy Bahama suits on weekends and live the Miami Vice dream.



Fier-arris may have passed their prime, but their heyday started a trend of drawing out the Fiero supporting cottage industry, and in turn drawing out the actual Fiero fans who are most avid and appreciative of the original body by Pontiac and not a house of mirrors interpretation of a Pinninfarina classic.



As with the Fiero, so go the other normally-niche automotive cults. Makes such as Peugeot, Renault, Fiat and Lancia show in surprisingly large numbers given the amount of cars on the road and that none of these brands have sold here in years. BMW and Porsche owners show, but not in as large a number. In the Subaru field, you’re more apt to find a raised vintage Brat than an Impreza, which should be even more of a hint at what you’ll find at Carlisle.



Audis turn out in large numbers, an atypically strong showing sans much of any Volkswagen (the two corporate cousins normally shown together in the enthusiast community). Much of today’s Audi presence is tied directly to the efforts of a number of close-knit, die-hard B2 owners and owners of some other ‘80s era Audis. That effort has been built upon by the Audi Club of North America and Audi Tradition Club, that today spans everything from NSU and DKW offerings to the latest A, S and RS designated Audis.



urQuattro fans should take particular note. What other shows can you see numbers of fine examples, including no-less than two RS2-converted versions of the coupes.

Volvo drew an exceptionally large number this year. Carlisle has always been a good show for Volvo owners, but the perfect storm of the Volvo Club of America national meet, combined with a vintage collection from Volvo themselves, strong showings from members of various Volvo website forums and tuners like Heico Sportiv helped bring what appeared to be more than three hundred cars.



Carlisle always marks the Saab club’s national meet, and GM’s Swedish badge consistently does well here as a result. Supporting the efforts of the enthusiasts, GM’s heritage arm brought out a comprehensive collection of their own Saabs, adding no less than eighteen cars to the already thick Saab show field.



Of course, kit cars are also a big part of the Carlisle event, and whole halls on the fairgrounds are dedicated to the specialty car industry. Not just Ferrari-bodied Fieros anymore, more serious replicas of Porsches, Cobras and Lamborghinis tend to be the norm today. Look inside and you’d have likely found new models such as Beck’s new Porsche 904, a 356 Coupe by JPS Motorsports, and even a steel-bodied ’57 Chevy convertible replica by Freese Motorcars. Even the seldom-rare classic Cobra replica had some new faces to show, including one in handsome blue and orange Gulf livery.



One very interesting find was spotted sitting atop a nondescript rented table in the middle of the replica hall. The presentation may have been modest, but the performance potential was anything but. Hartley Enterprises was showing off a 2.8-liter V8 made with Suzuki Hayabusa heads that’ll knock out 400 horsepower peak at 9,500 RPM before hitting its 10,800 RPM redline. Put that in your kit and smoke it.



Like most of their events, the Carlisle Import Kit/Replica Nationals span three days. That’s a good thing, as it’ll take you more than a day to see everything, from the show fields and halls, to the rows of vendors, car corral and more. Lucky they offer on-site camping, which can also be spelled P-A-R-T-Y-I-N-G if you’re so inclined.

Orphans they may be, but these cars and this crowd are fine with that. Put them all together, and you have one impressive family gathering open to all types of automotive enthusiast.
Carlisle Import Kit/Replica Nationals – A.K.A. the Carlisle Home for Orphans