I attended the Mopar Nationals on Saturday August 11, 2007. It was a perfect day for a car show, with sunny skies and plenty of summer heart. A good day for sun screen and ice cold lemonade and great looking cars. Chrysler fever started on the drive to Hebron, Ohio’s, National Trail Raceway. Plenty of vintage Mopar Muscle was to be seen along I 75 and I 70 leading to the site. The spectator parking lots looked like a Chrysler company sales lot, as few other marques are driven by Mopar loyalists. Surprising to me were the number of vintage Chryslers parked in the spectator lots, that I thought fully belonged in the show! Contemporary Dodge Ram trucks, and the complete line of Chargers (base, RT, SXT, SXT 8, Super Bee and Daytona) could be found parked as well.

The show is expensive, $5.00 to park, $20.00 ticket price and $3.50 for a bottle of water, but well worth it as there were large crowds and lots to do.

The smell of burning rubber from the wet pits and the ROAR of Mopar muscle engines is experienced from far away as you walk from parking to the show. The Nationals comprises two fields of show cars, a HUGE swap meet, a large car corral and an impressive vendor display area, in addition to drag racing.

Drag racing events included burn out contests, historic “rail” dragsters and lots and lots of Mopar super stock and modified racing.

The show fields did present only a handful of historic Chrysler products including a 1936 coupe and a 1920's Dodge. There were several Dodge Royal Lancers, and a 1959 Belvedere, and some Imperials of different 1960's model years. I saw a Le Baron and a Cordoba, as well as a single Javelin.

The Car corral was most interesting with finds ranging from “drive it home right now” finished and survivor cars to diamonds in the rough and heaps strapped down to trailers. I did not find a 1968 or 69 AMC AMX for which I was looking.

The swap meet is HUGE. You should come with your shopping list and your specification, or old part. I found the used parts well marked, although knowledgeable Mopar enthusiasts will know that Chrysler is known for various and differing parts listed for the same application. I thought swap meets would become a thing of the past, with ebay and internet selling readily available. But I am proved wrong here, as I witnessed many pieces of sheet metal being carried out to the parking lots. I did not find any of the more obscure die-cast cars I was looking for, although many die-cast vendors were on hand. I did not find but a few memorabilia for sale among the swap meet sellers.

The show fields primarily displayed the Belvederes, Belvedere II and GTX, as that was the show highlight car. Truly, model years 1962 to 1972 were the rage with Road Runners, and Chargers and e bodies a plenty. Throw in Coronets and Furys...and ...well, you get the idea.

The vendor area showcased the ususal commercial supporters of restoration work, including parts suppliers Year One, Legendary and many others. Mopar magazine sales were brisk.

Chrysler’s Mopar Direct trailer was there, at the center of a loosely laid out Vendor area, with no overhead balloon to locate it. The Black Super Stock Challenger concept car was on display there. Ironically, and amusingly, the multi million dollar one of a kind car does not have locking doors. Set out for display, passers by would simple reach for the door handle and open it, where upon the assigned polite young man would run over and ask, to please not touch the car. He was busy all afternoon I’m sure, but knew nothing about the car, its orange companion, not present, or the production plans for 2008 Dodge Challenger.

The Dodge Concept car was not shown in the show program, and the only souvenir for concept Challenger was found on the cover of the 2006 Mopar Nationals video. (Priced $29.95 + S&H on Mopar Nationals web site) or $15.00 cash and carry at the show.

Respectfully submitted,
S