If you build it, they will come...and come they sure have! Carlisle Events took what were literally cars in a field in rural Florida in 2012 and with the support of car clubs, vendors, enthusiasts and more, built one of the biggest and best events anywhere within the bustling city of Lakeland. For three days in February (21-23), auto lovers from Florida and surrounding states converged on the SUN n’ FUN Expo Campus to buy, sell and trade all things automotive.

After a few days of set up and load in, the grounds came to life with a mix of car displays, an auction and guests.  Special displays included the 42nd Annual NCRS Winter Regional Corvette show. Over 100 of the best Corvettes in the southeast converged on Lakeland and were joined by a passionate group of car owners and enthusiasts. Adjacent to the NCRS showcase were 400+ classic and collector cars as part of Carlisle Auctions two-day auction. The top selling car from the auction was a 2005 Ford GT, moving for $256,800.  The top five overall sellers amassed an all-time high total of $683,625.

SUN ‘n FUN isn’t just a spacious facility, it’s a functional airport and school.  That makes the event that much cooler of an in-person experience.  After all, there are vintage planes on display, a museum and guests can see planes coming and going all day long.  With that in mind, what better location to stage and showcase cars then their multi-purpose on-site hangers?  Hangers A through D weren’t the only hot spots, as every corner of the grounds was packed with something automotive themed. All-new for 2020, Winter AutoFest welcomed Mopars. With their vibrant colors showcased amidst a backdrop of palm trees and sunshine, not only did the cars bring the people, but some special guests too. Joining the display were TV host and overall car guy Lou Santiago along with racing legend Herb McCandless.

As show goers perused the Mopar Fun Field, they also took in the return of Corvettes at Lakeland along with the Mustang display too. Joining the Corvette group for 2020 was GM Certified Technician Paul Koerner. Lou, Paul and Herb also hosted seminars throughout the event, talking shop, answering questions and meeting fans.

Cars, cars, cars everywhere; making the spotlight displays not the only displays. There were two new features this year, a race inspired display and another highlighting some of the best from 1970. The race inspired display welcomed over $15 million in cars, including an ultra-rare 2015 Ferrari FXX-K.

But there’s more to the show than just looking at cool cars or dropping a few thousand and buying one within either the car corral or auction. Another great draw for attendees was the automotive flea market. Nearly 300 vendors from across the country occupied a little more than 1,000 spaces and offered millions of pieces and parts, collectibles and automobilia for those working on a project or looking to add to a collection.

As the sun set on Winter AutoFest 2020, the enthusiasm left everyone wanting more. For some, more is Spring Carlisle in Carlisle, Pennsylvania starting April 22. For others, it’ll be next year, February 19-21 as Winter AutoFest returns to the SUN n’ FUN Expo Campus. To see the event in photos or learn more, visit www.CarlisleEvents.com.

Death, taxes and car show excitement at Carlisle...three things that are a given in life.  There’s a fourth, more so for car lovers, and that’s the opportunity to finally shake off the cabin fever from the long (and so far wet) winter and enjoy Spring Carlisle.  With your tax refund in hand, you can spend, spend, spend as part of the massive Spring event running April 22-26 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds.  Spanning five days, Spring Carlisle welcomes over 100,000 automotive enthusiasts converging on the facility, all looking to buy, sell and trade all things automotive.  Well…maybe not all, because some legitimately come to Carlisle to simply enjoy the camaraderie of Spring, making new friends and connecting with old ones.  In the end though, you never know what you’ll find at Carlisle.  Hidden gems include items for the shop, the man cave or even the she shed. Expect the unexpected in Carlisle as you browse the 82-acre facility enjoying the thrill of the hunt.

As shopping goes there are plenty of options at Spring Carlisle.  The 8,100 vending spaces are filled with millions of automotive pieces and parts with buyers and sellers alike coming from around the world to shop and sell at Carlisle. By visiting the thousands of vendors who set up at Carlisle, attendees find things that they didn’t even know they needed, all at bargain pricing. In addition to the parts, collectibles and memorabilia, there are cars for sale within the car corral, meaning buyer and seller can work face to face, most times consummating the sale very quickly.  The automotive history available to be had spans nearly one century of production and ranges from must-have classics to unique and daily drivers.

The car corral isn’t the only way to pick up a car at Spring Carlisle as Carlisle Auctions offers a two-day classic and collector car auction on Thursday and Friday of event weekend.  The fun starts at 12 p.m. each day some 250 cars will cross the block per day.  Much like the car corral, auction cars and trucks will span automotive history. Consignments that are 25 years and older are taken via the Carlisle Auctions’ FREE UNLESS SOLD guarantee.  By welcoming cars of this era into the auction, the variety of available lots is nearly limitless.  The best thing about the live auction excitement provided by Carlisle Auctions is that not only is it a great spectator opportunity, but cars are priced to move. Select consignments will sell for low four figures with others touching the six-figure price range.  Online bidding is also an option with Carlisle Auctions.

There truly is something for everyone at Carlisle because cars aren’t the only form of entertainment. Cruise to Spring Carlisle and meet Lou Santiago from TV’s Car Fix. Lou and his wealth of automotive knowledge will be at the event throughout the weekend.  While at Carlisle, he’ll be meeting guests, signing autographs and posing for photos, while also walking the swap meet and enjoying the event just like the rest of the international audience.

Complete details about Spring Carlisle, the auction, guest appearance by Lou Santiago and more can be found online at www.CarlisleEvents.com.  Also, while online be sure to pick up advanced spectator tickets for the show at a discounted price.  Call 717-243-7855 for details or visit www.CarlisleEvents.com or www.CarlisleAuctions.com to learn more.

Recently Carlisle Events announced its special themes, guests and displays for Winter AutoFest Lakeland.  The three-day event starts at 8 a.m. on February 21 and runs through 3 p.m. on February 23 at the spacious SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus.  One of those displays, a race inspired one, already touts millions of dollars’ worth of classics, but now the showcase has been enhanced even further.

Just two weeks away from the annual Florida offering, Carlisle Events is excited to share that the iconic and much sought after 1970 Richard Petty Plymouth Superbird plus two other amazing pieces of Mopar Muscle will now join the likes of a $4.5 million dollar Ferrari and a handful of million-dollar L88 Corvettes.  The Petty car mixed in with the aforementioned Ferrari and L88s offer well over $12 million in cars on display. 

The three cars are impressive on their own, but together, it’s a showcase unlike anything Winter AutoFest has ever seen.  Confirmed are 1968 Dick Landy Dodge Dart HEMI®, a 1968 Sox & Martin Plymouth Barracuda HEMI® and a 1970 Richard Petty Plymouth Superbird.  The Petty car coming to Lakeland is even more special, as it will have just completed a showcase of sorts at the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Daytona, having been reviewed by tens of thousands of race fans as part of the 2020 Daytona 500.  It also crossed the auction block in July of 2019 and reached a bid as high as $3.5 million, but ultimately was a no sale before running to its home in Florida.

“Three of the biggest names in racing during the ‘60s and ‘70s were Richard Petty, Sox & Martin and Dick Landy, so to have cars from all three at one event is amazing,” noted display coordinator Ed Buczeskie.  “The 1968 Hemi Super Stock cars were one of the wildest factory offerings ever and the pedigree of these two cars makes them insanely desirable. Add in Richard Petty’s actual NASCAR Superbird and you have the trifecta of Mopar race history.” 
Along with these cars and this display, guests can enjoy a spotlight display of 1970 cars, a two-day classic and collector car auction powered by Carlisle Auctions, a FREE cruise-in and showcase displays focused on the Mustang, Corvette and all-new for 2020, Mopar.  The displays, combined with special guests and seminars, make Winter AutoFest Lakeland a must-attend for Sunshine State car lovers!  A complete rundown of this event, the auction and more are available online at www.CarlisleEvents.com or www.CarlisleAuctions.com.  

What’s new this year?  That’s a question frequently asked by guests, vendors and even members of the media.  Carlisle Events is prepared for a south to Florida and its annual Winter AutoFest Lakeland offering, spotlighting a cornucopia of new and fresh things.  This includes displays, themes, guests, seminars and more.

Winter AutoFest Lakeland runs February 21-23 at the aforementioned SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus and the facility’s spacious footprint allows for a lot of variety.  That variety offers the addition of guests like Lou Santiago and Herb McCandless as well as GM Certified Technician, Paul Koerner.  

You’ve seen the names, but who are these guests?  Lou Santiago is the host of Car Fix on the former Velocity Channel (now Motor Trend TV), but he’s more than just a TV car guy, he’s a real-life car guy.  Lou is the kind of guy anyone can talk shop with for hours and the type of guy that anyone would want wrenching right next to them in the shop.  He’s an encyclopedia of knowledge and he, plus his knowledge, will be at the event Friday and Saturday (2/21-22).  

Another great guest is Herb McCandless.  Herb is a racing legend and yet another encyclopedia of car knowledge.  He’ll bring three of his most famous cars with him, too; a ’68 Hemi Dart, a ’70 Hemicuda and a ’72 Pro Stock Demon.  These cars have an amazing pedigree…just like Herb himself.  If cool cars and car stories are your thing, then an interaction with Herb’s a must!  

Paul Koerner has been a GM service technician since 1997 and has been specializing in Corvette care and service since 1999.  He’s obtained the classification of GM World Class Certified Service Technician.  In a nutshell, is fully tested and trained by GM to repair any system in any GM vehicle (sans Saab and medium-duty trucks).  His passion and knowledge run deep, in fact, at the 2019 Winter AutoFest event, Paul was found in the parking lot helping a patron whose car had broken down.  He’s that kind of amazing!

These three guys will do their own thing throughout the event, including seminars and tech talks, but they’ll also converge for a special seminar on Saturday (2/22) called “Ask the Pros.”  This panel will include Lou, Herb and Paul, while welcoming writer and industry expert Randy Bolig.  More names may pop in, but these are the four confirmed at this time.

While Herb and Lou are fresh guests in 2020, Winter AutoFest also offers three all-new displays.  One display honors 50 years of 1970 cars, with a display hosting a dozen or so rides from 1970.  In addition, another new display showcases race-inspired cars.  Within this display will be a $4.5 million dollar 2015 Ferrari FXX-K and a couple of million dollar L88 Corvettes.  The final all-new showcase is focused on the Mopar brand.  By popular demand, the Fun Field options at Winter AutoFest have expanded by one, adding Mopars in with pre-existing displays of the Corvette and Mustang.

Carlisle Events isn’t the only entity offering something fresh during Winter AutoFest.  Carlisle Auctions, a star player during the weekend as well, presents its two-day auction on Friday and Saturday (2/21-22).  During this time, a handful of ultra-low mileage consignments will cross the block.  This includes a 2005 Ford GT with under 1,500 miles and a 1978 Corvette with less than 250 miles.  In addition, as a nod to the Corvettes on display, Carlisle Auctions presents an all-Corvette hour on Saturday (2/22) starting at 1:30 p.m.

A complete rundown of this event, the auction and more are available online at www.CarlisleEvents.com or www.CarlisleAuctions.com.  Further, the auction will offer a free web stream for it’s daily 10:30 a.m. event PLUS online bidding.  In addition, anyone who registered to bid for this auction receives a FREE bidder’s pass for the fall Sunset-Carlisle auction in Sarasota, Florida.  For spectators, single day admission tickets are $10 online or at the gate while a weekend spectator admission for everyday of the event can be purchased for just $15.  Admission also allows for spectator access to the auction.  As always at Winter AutoFest, parking is FREE.  

The first quarter of 2020 is offering central Florida residents the chance to own some of the finest classic and collector cars in the world.  The fun continues with Carlisle Auctions at the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus in Lakeland as part of Winter AutoFest (February 21-23).  The auction itself spans two days (February 21-22) and will see more than 400+ consignments cross the block, with some having a reserve.  In addition, the thrilling event starts at 10:30 a.m. each of the two days.  Reserve or not, when cars do sell, they will have done so to the highest bidder.  This year’s auction will see Carlisle Auctions move 10 decades of excellence in front of a jam-packed gallery of car lovers.

For Carlisle Auctions, starting its season in Florida has been a tradition since 2012.  This year is no different and the level of consignments might just be the best ever to grace the grounds in Lakeland.  Two of the top consignments have less than 2,000 miles on their respective odometers…total!  Don’t miss out as a 1978 Corvette, 2005 Ford GT and so much more take center stage.

This gem of a Corvette has just 213 ORIGINAL MILES and is code B2Z, also known as a Silver Anniversary Edition.  Its automatic transmission powers a 350 c.i. L82 V8 engine and not only does it go (although with 212 miles, it didn’t really go anywhere), it goes in comfort.  There’s an oyster leather interior, AM/FM radio and even a factory CB.  This car has been meticulously taken care of, having been stored in a climate-controlled room and it’s even been on display at the National Corvette Museum.

Another low mileage gem is a 2005 Ford GT with 1,531 miles.  For sale in its factory red paint with black interior, the odometer shows just over 1,530 miles.  The low mileage total combined with its all-original, unmodified body means it also comes with no damage or blemishes to the paint.  Best of all, this GT was just one of five ordered in 2005 with the stripe delete option.  Other great perks to further its value include original sales documentation, window sticker, owner history and even service history.

While those two and others crossing the block will come with a reserve, many others will be offered without a reserve.  There’s also a special theme in place for Saturday (February 22), as the 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. time slot is reserved for only Corvettes, including the above-mentioned ’78.  There will be Corvettes available during other times throughout the event too, but for Corvette die-hards, the Saturday time slot is a must-attend.

“We are looking forward to this being our most successful Winter Autofest Lakeland Auction to date,” noted Director of Auction Operations, Tony Cline.  “We have been fortunate to consign the best group of vehicles that we have ever offered at the SUN ‘n FUN venue.  Anyone who wants to be involved can call our team at 717-960-6400 to consign or register to bid.”

To be part of the auction, call 717-960-6400 or visit Carlisle Auctions online at www.CarlisleAuctions.com.  While on the web, review details on many of the events’ consignments as well as details on upcoming auctions with Carlisle Auctions.  There are some great NEW features associated with Carlisle Auctions and Winter AutoFest in 2020 as well.  First, anyone who registers to bid for this auction receives FREE bidder access for Sunset-Carlisle, November 13-14 in Sarasota, Florida.  Second, interested bidders who can’t make Winter AutoFest in person can visit the aforementioned web page to bid online and finally, Carlisle Auctions will once again offer a FREE live stream of the auction, again at www.CarlisleAuctions.com.