This weekend, Fall Carlisle, or more accurately, the 47th annual Fall Carlisle Collector Car Flea Market & Corral will close the season at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds. This car-lover’s experience includes a massive automotive flea market that is one of the best opportunities to get your hands on all things automotive. With 8,100 spaces of vendors selling a vast array of automotive parts, accessories, cars, collectibles and memorabilia, there is something automotive for everyone. Accompanying the automotive flea market and car corral is the Manufacturers Midway featuring the latest and greatest products and services, and a two-day auction across the street, presented by Carlisle Auctions.

One of the highlights of the event is the attendance and display of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA). The AACA’s mission statement is to be “America's premier resource for the collectible vehicle community.” Since 1935, AACA has had one goal: The preservation and enjoyment of automotive history of all types. From Nationals (Meets) and Tours to Regional events, AACA was established to bring enthusiasts together through exciting National activities, friendship, and Antique Automobile … an award winning 100-page full color magazine.

AACA first displayed at Fall Carlisle in 2020, and Ed Buczeskie, Fall Carlisle Event Manager said, it is important for AACA to display at Carlisle. He said, “Their involvement began out of (Carlisle Events co-owner) Bill Miller’s desire to help our friends at the AACA after it was announced that they would not be able to hold their Fall Meet in 2020. It was very important to Bill that we reach out and offer them space at Fall Carlisle. He wanted to give them space (totally free of charge) to promote the AACA, sell memberships to Carlisle guests, get membership renewals from current members and to display some of their cars. As Bill put it, ‘for about one-and-a-half weeks in September/October, Central PA becomes a car-lovers paradise with Fall Carlisle and Hershey being back to back. We are all in this together and we need to support each other.’”

Buczeskie  said, “We also worked with the AACA to offer their vendors space at Fall Carlisle because we knew it was going to be a financial hit to many of them if they didn’t have a venue to sell their products. We made an effort to reach out to them and let them know that they could vend at Carlisle. We also did a lot of marketing to let people know that there would be a lot of ‘Hershey vendors’ at Fall Carlisle. It was all done in a way that was VERY CLEAR that we were NOT out to ‘steal’ the AACA’s vendors. Rather, we just wanted to offer them a one-time opportunity to vend in lieu of Hershey.”

Wayne Tuck, AACA Executive Vice President, said, being at Fall Carlisle benefits his group. “A display at Carlisle provides AACA the opportunity to recruit new members and renew memberships of existing members. It also allows us to tell our story about what AACA does to benefit the entire hobby, members and non-members alike. We find a great source of old car fans at Fall Carlisle.”

Tuck said the AACA display includes a wide variety of his members’ cars. He said, “Last year we had cars on display representing nearly every decade of automobile production. A table is set up with membership benefit brochures, sample magazines and membership applications. Recruitment personnel are available to answer questions, and for visitors, ours is a car-lovers’ showcase.”

Tuck said the AACA display is dictated by the space available. “We have had as many as 15 cars displayed when enough space is available. This year, more emphasis is placed on recruiting members than in the past.”

Buczeskie added, “There is a strong social aspect to Fall Carlisle (and Spring) that cannot be had via online sales. Even though Fall Carlisle is all about buying and selling, there is a social aspect that online commerce will never have. For many shoppers, it’s about walking around with friends and/or family while you shop for deals. For many vendors, it’s as much about spending the weekend with friends as it is about making sales. You can see this in the interactions that occur during the event. It can be in the swap area or you can see it in the AACA display as the current members relate to each other as well as the new members getting acquainted with the AACA for the first time.”

Tuck is appreciative of the support and said, “We are grateful to Carlisle Events for providing this opportunity to promote our shared interest in the old car hobby.”

Buczeskie said, “Spring and Fall Carlisle are swap meets. They aren’t intended to be entertainment like our specialty shows. Displays and attractions are different from entertainment because entertainment is typically scheduled for a certain time(s) while displays and attractions can be enjoyed at any time without a specific schedule. So we classify the AACA display as a ‘highlight’ of Fall Carlisle 2021, as are the Bill Miller Collection auction, all of the deals from the swap meet and car corral and the Carlisle Auction at the Expo Center. One other highlight is local author, antique collector, owner of “The Old Sled Works” and historian, Jimmy Rosen, who will be in Building T selling copies of his book “Got Gas?” It’s a book all about service stations from Central Pennsylvania in the 20th century. But AACA is an important aspect of the event.”

Car lovers and parts-hunters can visit the automotive paradise called Fall Carlisle, this weekend at Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>

Two “car guys: struck up a friendship that centered around their love for cars … all cars. At the time, car shows focused on pre-WWII vehicles that were called “classics,” and these two car guys wanted to celebrate all cars as their friendship developed into a lifelong partnership.

With that determination in mind, Bill and Chip Miller (no relation), founded Carlisle Events in 1974 for "car guys and girls just like them." Prior to Carlisle Events' emergence, anyone interested in restoring or showing 1950s‐ or 1960s‐era cars had few options. That all changed when Chip Miller and Bill Miller Jr., became friends through a mutual interest in cars of the 1950s.

Together they began going to car shows and automotive flea markets, where like‐minded individuals would hunt for parts and accessories to restore their vehicles. A need for these events became obvious to these two men in 1973. Until that time, the only cars deemed worthy to collect were pre‐WWII automobiles.

On September 26, 1974, on the rented Carlisle Fairgrounds, "Post War '74" took place. It was the very first car event promoted by the company. In a year still remembered for gas lines and inflation, nearly 600 vendors set up in more than 800 spaces, and 13,000 spectators paid the $1 admission to sample their wares.

Bill Miller Jr. was asked what made him and Chip decide to put on a show at all. Miller said, “In 1973, the president of a new car club, The Milestone Car Society, asked me if I could bring a special car to their booth at the AACA Fall Swap Meet in Hershey. Chip had a 1954 Corvette that he wanted to sell, so we brought that and put it in the booth. Of course, at that time there were no cell phones, so Chip put his business card on the windshield with the price, and that he would be back every hour on the hour if someone was interested.”

Miller continued, “When we returned to the booth, the business card was on the floor of the car instead of the windshield, so Chip thought someone was interested in the car and didn't want anyone else to see the card and just threw it on the floor. That wasn’t the case. A few minutes later, someone in a golf cart pulled up and asked who owned the car. Chip thought that this was the person interested in the purchase. When Chip approached him, the man said that Chip was not allowed to sell the car in the swap meet because it was not an antique car.”

Miller added, “Being in our 20s, and the car being 20 years old, we thought it was an old car. AACA rules at that time were that the car had to be 35 years old or older. They got a little testy with us and we snapped back, so they made us remove the car from the show. After we took the car to the parking lot and returned to the show Chip said, ‘Isn't it a shame that we can't show cars that we like at a car show.’ I said that we should start a car show for cars that we liked. We each put up $500, drew up a partnership and the next season started a car show for cars after the Second World War. Postwar '74 was born.”

Miller said they chose Fall for the inaugural event because it was the week before the Fall Hershey Swap meet and the new partners thought people coming to Hershey could just spend another few days and attend both events.

However, they encountered several obstacles before the event could be run. Miller said, “The biggest obstacle was finding a location that we could afford, We looked at three locations and picked the Carlisle Fairgrounds because it was the least expensive.” He remarked, “Better dumb luck than good management. Carlisle is the Keystone of the Keystone state as Route 11, Route 81 and the Turnpike intersect here and it is the perfect location for people traveling any distance North, South, East or West.”

The first year the show was a huge success, with 600 vendors and 13,000 spectators, but Miller said the elements were against them soon thereafter. “During the show years two and three, it rained every day and almost wiped us out. The town was mad as cars and trucks leaving the event dragged mud all over town and for the vendors, business was not good. It rebounded after that and we were off to gangbuster events from then on.”

According to Miller, they began the event strictly as a hobby event and didn't look for it to flourish as it did and turn into a business. Miller said, “We were happy that it did become a successful business, because there is no better business that working in the hobby that you love.”

After 47 Fall Carlisle shows Miller has enjoyed many event high points, including celebrity guests and the growth of additional automotive events.  Miller said, “We have had so many big names from the hobby at our events including Carroll Shelby, Richard Petty, Kyle Petty, Linda Vaughn ("The First Lady of Motorsports". and “Miss Hurst Golden Shifter”), Bruce Larson, The Teutuls of Orange County Choppers fame, all of the Dukes of Hazzard stars, Bill Goldberg, Chip Foose, Hailie Deegan (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver),Gallagher (the comedian), Bobby Allison and Cindy Williams (of Laverne and Shirley fame), just to name a few.”

He is proud of the growth of other events across the years. Miller said, “As our flea market-only shows grew, we started single-marque shows including Ford, GM, Chrysler, Truck Import, Corvette, and of course our auctions, which are a huge success. Even now, our Florida auctions draw thousands of people and hundreds of cars to Lakeland, Florida  twice a year. Our single-marque shows grew every year as we set record attendance of show cars. People love to interact with like-minded car owners so they can learn more about the hobby.”

Miller praises those loyal fans who attend the shows. “We have seen every kind of weather over the years that you can imagine. The car people are tough. The shows go on rain storms, snow and sunshine. And our vendors can handle any type of weather too. We are all certainly much happier when the sun is out.”

Miller has also seen challenges that have been met. “The pandemic was certainly a challenge,” he said. “We did all the CDC requirements, as did every other business, and made it through, and this year has been strong and we look to end the season with Fall Carlisle and huge turnouts of vendors and visitors.”

Miller sees a bright future ahead for all the shows. He said, “Our future is bright  because we try and stay on top of the market. We want the shows to appeal to all ages and genders. We do something for the young, the older men and women, the younger enthusiasts, and especially for the kids, as they are the future of the hobby.”

Above all, Miller applauds fans and visitors. He said, “The car people are the greatest people in the world. We raise thousands of dollars for charities every year. When you realize that about half-a-million people pass through these grounds every year and we don't have any problems, what better testament could you have to the quality people of the car hobby?”

You can attend the 47th annual Fall Carlisle, now known as Fall Carlisle Collector Car Flea Market & Corral, September 29 - October 3 at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds. This massive automotive flea market is one of the best opportunities to get your hands on all things automotive before the winter non-picking blues kicks in. With 8,100 spaces of vendors selling a vast array of automotive parts, accessories, cars, collectibles and memorabilia, it's almost certain that you won't go home empty-handed. Accompanying the automotive flea market and car corral is the Manufacturers Midway featuring the latest and greatest products and services, and a two-day auction presented by Carlisle Auctions across the street.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>

Bill Miller, Jr. co-founded Carlisle Events in 1974.  Then an early 30-something, Miller made collecting all things automotive part of his life long before he and Chip Miller (no relation) launched what we now know as Fall Carlisle.  Fast forward to 2021 and Bill, still a 30-something according to him, will be hosting and in attendance for an auction of 50-60 items from his personal stash of collectibles, merchandise, and even a car.  This is the FIRST-TIME a collection of items from one of Carlisle Events co-founders has been made available and it just might not be the last.

Fall Carlisle presented by eBay Motors runs September 29-October 3 and on Friday, October 1 at 10 a.m., the fairgrounds grandstand stage will draw the attention of flippers, pickers, spectators, and vendors as they bid or buy these pieces of automotive history.  Miller said, “it was time,” when asked about why he was cleaning out the closet.  Noting that “I’m not going anywhere,” he recently showcased the lot, which includes vintage posters, gas cans, oil cans, an ‘30s era Studebaker themed umbrella, Nash air mat, bikes and more.

In addition to those items being sold at no reserve in a casual auction setting, Miller is also putting a car from his collection into the two-day collector car auction powered by Carlisle Auctions.  The Carlisle Auctions event runs September 30-October 1 at the Carlisle Expo Center and as a continuation of the 10 a.m., October 1 auction, Miller’s 1985 Pontiac Horizon with less than 27,000 original miles and original documentation crosses the block at approximately 4 p.m.

“I’ve got buildings and stuff everywhere.  Not only did I think it was time to start getting rid of these items, but my wife did too,” noted Miller.  “I collected everything.  As I went through life and I saw something that was interesting and I thought it might have some meaning, I picked it up,” continued Miller.  “There are things in my collection that, maybe someday, somebody might like to have.”

Guests of Fall Carlisle could be that somebody and Friday, October 1 is that day.  By way of the Carlisle Events web page and YouTube channel, photos and video are available showcasing many of these items.  There’s even a video specific to the car.  Items will also be on display at the stage the morning of October 1.  The Horizon will be positioned at the stage but will move over to the Carlisle Expo Center after the memorabilia auction.  Following the sale of the merchandise, then later for the auction, Bill will be available to pose for photos and sign autographs too.

Anyone interested in bidding on the merchandise can do so in real-time in a very casual manner.  No bidder registration is required.  Cash or credit cards are accepted forms of payment for the merchandise and items must be claimed and paid for no later than the conclusion of the auction.  For those looking to bid on the car, they must register to bid through Carlisle Auctions by calling 717-960-6400. 

Learn more about Fall Carlisle and the auction online today.  For Fall event info, call 717-243-7855 or visit CarlisleEvents.com.  For the auction, call 717-960-6400 or visit CarlisleAuctions.com.  Each web page also has details on the enhanced measures being undertaken during these uncertain times.