For over 50 years, the Miller family and its team at Carlisle Events have produced the finest automotive enthusiast happenings you’ll ever attend. Set in the rolling hills of historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the Carlisle Ford Nationals is the largest Ford-themed event you can attend anywhere.
More than just a car show, the 2025 Ford Nationals encompassed a multitude of activities that lasted three full days. The massive grounds were filled with over 3,200 vehicles in the NPD Show field, 700-plus vendors in the swap meet, monster trucks rides, a drift demonstration from RTR’s Bob Hobson, a rolling exhaust contest, burnout and donut contest, live podcasts, plus special “feature car” displays in the buildings and pavilions.
If you love Fords, there’s a good chance you’ll find your favorite (or that elusive part you’ve been seeking) at the Carlisle Ford Nationals. This year there were more than 700 vendors and 3,200 show vehicles on the property. (Photo Credit: All Photos By Kalyn Guenther)
The action continued with parades, and Ford Motor Company showed off the Mustang GTD and introduced the all-new 2026 Mustang FX Package, a Fox-themed 2025 throwback package. Shelby American was also on hand with President Gary Patterson showing off its offerings, including the Shelby-built GT350. We also chatted with Steve Saleen, John Coletti, and John Clor of Ford Performance. Additionally, VMP Performance was on the property tuning vehicles and running vehicles on its portable chassis dyno, and the manufacturer’s midway was a who’s who of the Ford world.
Kip Ewing, John Coletti, Camillo Pardo, GT Joey, and Chris Theodore participated in a Q&A celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Ford GT. The display was full of special Ford GTs, including one of the few development prototypes created.
Miles Of Fords
The Carlisle Ford Nationals shone brightly despite a taste of rain. We covered mile after mile and saw virtually every model year of Mustang, Torino, Cyclone, Galaxie, Bronco, T-Bird, Shelby, and more.
Each year, there are special features, and for 2025, the Carlisle team brought together a 20th anniversary of the Ford GT with John Coletti, Camillo Pardo, GT Joey, Chris Theodore, and Kip Ewing of Ford. The display of Ford GT models was simply unreal, with examples including street cars, race cars, replicas, and even one of the few prototypes. The dignitaries held Q&A sessions and really gave fans a treat as they shared amazing stories from the GT days.
Ben Hobson of RTR Vehicles was on hand, slaying tires in his Mustang RTR demonstrator.
There was also a gathering of the rare and often overlooked Mercury Motorsport Capris that was part of a dealer driveway program at the 1985 Detroit Grand Prix. According to the experts, there were 41 of these special-edition Capri models, built in white or silver with the appearance package and special options. The display at Carlisle featured about a dozen of the cars, which was the largest gathering since they were delivered in 1985.
This beautiful 1972 Gran Torino Sport, dressed in black with Magnum 500 wheels, is powered by a 351Cleveland CJ and backed by a four-speed manual transmission. Aside from being a clean machine, we consider this to be one of the last real muscle cars from the original era.
Variety Packed
Out in the NPD show field, you can count on finding unique and interesting Fords beyond the typical or common models. Yes, you’ll see stock and modded Foxes, supercharged Coyotes, and classics restored to perfection, but several caught our eye and made us spend some time looking them over as we snapped photos.
Participation from the local and national car clubs is matched only by the best shows, and owners put in a huge effort to continue the growth. Having over 3,200 vehicles on display gives you a look at everything imaginable from all the FoMoCo brands. This year included Edsel, the Galaxie Nationals, plus rare race cars, and as always, the Saleen and SVT contingent was endless.
There are always a few TV or movie-themed Fords and this year was no different. We spotted a 1971 Ford Custom 500 replica of Burt Reynold’s machine from the 1973 film White Lightning. In that film, Gator McKlusky (played by Reynolds) drives a plain brown Ford Custom 500 (not an LTD) that is used for some fun chase scenes, including a jump onto a barge. Jim and Judy Cunningham built the Ford and had their Starsky and Hutch Gran Torino on display as well.
The Carlisle Ford Nationals is truly a must-see event, so if you couldn’t make it this year, check out our highlights and full photo gallery below. And, if you are feeling inspired to attend, mark your calendars for next year’s event from June 5-7, 2026, so you can start planning your trip.
Not your typical show machine, Ben Maurer’s 1986 Ford C7000 COE truck is another ride that caught our eye. These C700 and C7000 (gas and diesel, respectively) trucks from Ford were built from 1957 until 1990 and were popular in many forms of trucking in America. His model was running a diesel and was modified from a flatbed to a fifth wheel. It is primarily used for shows these days.
