Despite government fuel regulations that bit into horsepower, the 1971 Corvette was built for performance with a focus on trouble-free cars.

For 1971, the St. Louis Corvette Plant built 21,801 C3s – 7,121 Convertibles and 14,680 Coupes – and they may have looked like 1970 Corvettes, but they had their own quirks and personality changes. Virtually the same externally, the 1971 Corvettes can be differentiated from 1970  by the chrome trim strip surrounding the front grill, and ’71s have a 9.0 or lower compression ratio compared to the 10.25 or higher ratios in 1970. Engine changes were done to reduce the octane requirements from previous years as mandated by the government. For 1971, all Corvette engines were designed to operate efficiently on the new no-lead or low-lead gasoline mixtures. The engine tweaks took priority over cosmetic changes, though parking light lenses were switched from clear to amber in most ’71s. 

There were minor advances made, such as an easier-to-open fuel filler door, and an automatic transmission selector quadrant that illuminated during night-time operation. The resin process used to form body parts was updated to increase quality and 1971 was the last year for the M22 “Rock Crusher” heavy-duty transmission – named for the throaty and guttural sounds made during shifting. Additionally, the 1971 Corvette was the last Corvette model to feature the fiber-optics light monitoring system, and it is believed that many late-model 1971 Corvettes were manufactured without the fiber optics.

The lack of major changes in design allowed the GM production line in St. Louis to focus on producing “a more trouble-free car,” and plant workers took pride in building better overall machines. Vince Shanks, the plant manager of the St. Louis Corvette Manufacturing Plant, was quoted as saying, “When you ask a GM guy where he works in St. Louis, he’ll tell you ‘Corvette’ rather than ‘Chevrolet.’  Every Corvette he sees on the road is one he’s worked on. That’s quite an incentive for perfection.”

The 1970 through 1972 Corvettes were purpose-built. Zora Arkus-Duntov, often called “The Father of the Corvette,” was the Director of High Performance Vehicles at Chevrolet and Chief Engineer for Corvette. He specifically engineered the 1970-’72 Corvette’s suspension, tires and aerodynamics for the car’s safe performance at 140mph. Designed for speed and stability at speed, the 1971 Corvette incorporated specific design specs. Every facet of its design, from the front and rear door handles, was wind-tunnel tested and refined. The N44 nylon cord tires were designed specifically for the Corvette for sustained 140 mph driving, and were used on no other American car. The suspension was built with more “travel” than any other American-built car, for the softest ride of any US-performance vehicle. Brakes, steering, aerodynamics and horsepower were all designed for top-speed performance. Even airflow was special-built as the air entered by way of a spoiler below and behind the grille through two slots in the bodywork, rather than through the grille and radiator.

Base priced at $5,496 (Coupe), $5,259 (Convertible), and available with a 3-speed manual (standard), 4-speed manual (optional) or 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic (optional), power dropped from the 1970 version to comply with  regs. 1971 Corvette muscle ratings ranged from 270hp to 425hp and from 360 lb-ft to 475 lb-ft of torque from 10 different engine/trans set-ups. The previous base engine produced 300hp, and hp drops were seen in the LT1, 454 LS5 and 454 LS6 engines. The base 350ci base engine was rated at 270hp, while a beefier LT1 350 got 330hp; the 454ci LS5 was rated at 365hp and the 454ci LS6 was good for 425hp – down as much as 50hp from 1970, as it was developed to operate on low-lead, lower-octane fuel.  

The top acceleration was still formidable despite the power drop, as the Stingray ZR2 was touted as dashing from zero to 60mph in 5.3 seconds, while polishing off a quarter-mile drag time in 13.7 seconds.

Standard colors for 1971 were Nevada Silver, Sunflower Yellow, Classic White, Mille Miglia Red, Mulsanne Blue, Bridgehampton Blue, Brands Hatch Green, Ontario Orange, Steel Cities Gray, and War Bonnet Yellow.

Built on a 98-inch wheelbase, he 1971 Corvette had a height of 47.8 inched, length of 182.5 inches, width of 69.0 inches and ground clearance of 4.8 inches, for a curb weight of about 3300 lbs. Inside, driver and passenger were afforded headroom of 37.2 inches, legroom as much as 43 inches, shoulder room of 46.9 inched and hip room of 48.4 inches.

The 1971 Corvette also included an optional custom interior trim package made up of leather seat trim, wood-grain accents, lower carpet trim on interior door panels, wood grain accents on the console and special cut-pile carpeting.

Standard security, safety and accident prevention items included an audio alarm system, gas cap lock, child safety seat, fire extinguisher, seat belts and shoulder belts (except convertible) with pushbutton buckles and retractors for driver and passenger, built-in head restraints, energy-absorbing steering column, passenger-guard door locks, safety door latches and hinges, folding seat back latches, energy-absorbing padded instrument panel, thick-laminate windshield, padded sun visors, safety armrests, and safety steering wheel.

At 50 years old, the 1971 Corvette is a classic, and while some in good condition can be purchased for under $20,000, one auctioned ’71 ZR2 convertible – only two were produced -- hammered for $550,000.

You can see the 1971 Corvette and thousands of “America’s Sports Car” representing all generations of Corvette at Corvettes at Carlisle, August 26-28 at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds. Corvettes at Carlisle is the largest and most fun-filled Corvette event in the world. 

> 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>

Remember those World II movies in which the G.I.s traveled around battlefields and countrysides in Jeeps, or on the TV show, “M.A.S.H.” when Radar O’Reilly mailed one of vehicles home to Iowa piece by piece? Well, the Jeep has come a long way since then. While the Jeep brand heralds that it is the original sport-utility vehicle beginning in 1941, today’s Jeeps are trendy, powerful, wide-functioning, and can perform off-road with the best of them.

Nostalgic Americans and car-lovers alike have held a warm spot in their hearts for Jeep since WWII. The general purpose vehicle that could go anywhere and determinedly complete its missions, even under fire, bombardment or on the most challenging terrain, served the U.S. military steadfastly, before being marketed to the public in 1945 as the first Civilian Jeep (“CJ”) vehicles – the Willys-Overland CJ-2A.

While many believe that “Jeep” is a phonetic pronunciation of the abbreviation GP, from “General Purpose,” that was used as part of the official Army nomenclature, the first documented use of the word “Jeep” was the name of a character, “Eugene the Jeep,” in Popeye cartoons. Eugene gained his rep for supernatural abilities such as walking through walls. Automotively, Jeep was also the name of a small tractor made by Minneapolis-Moline prior to WW II. Either way, the name was a hit with servicemen, and after the war, Willys filed a successful trademark claim for the name

Jeep lays claim as a sports-utility vehicle ground-breaker beginning with its General Purpose military transport in 1941, built by the Willys-Overland car company. After the war, Willys did not resume production of its passenger-car models, choosing instead to concentrate on Jeeps and Jeep-branded vehicles, launching the Jeep Station Wagon in 1946, the Jeep Truck in 1947, and the Jeepster in 1948. An attempt to re-enter the passenger-car market in 1952 with the Willys Aero sedan proved unsuccessful, and ended with the company's acquisition by Kaiser Motors in 1953, for $60 million. Kaiser initially called the merged company “Willys Motors”, but renamed itself Kaiser-Jeep in 1963.

American Motors Corp. (AMC) purchased Kaiser in 1970 for $70 million and in 1976, introduced the CJ-7. Chrysler bought AMC in 1987, and soon replaced the CJ-7 with the Wrangler YJ. In 1992, Grand Cherokee became the first Chrysler-badged Jeep product and was launched when then-Chrysler president Robert Lutz made a grand entrance at the Detroit Auto Show by driving the vehicle through a plate glass window to debut the SUV. In the 29 years since, Grand Cherokee has been an award-winning off-road and around-town luxury sports-utility vehicle that performs equally well at upscale occasions, off-road and while towing boats, toys and workloads.

The 80-year history of Jeeps is the focus of the PA Jeeps, Inc. 25th Annual All Breeds Jeep Show, July 24-25 at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds. One of the longest and largest Jeep shows in the world the event spotlights fun, family events including:

• Show 'n Shine with trophies in 17 different classes
• Trophies for the longest distance traveled and the biggest club participation
• Obstacle course (from stock to buggy level)
• CTI Ramp
• Huge raffle with over $20,000 in prizes
• Off-road adventure (off-site)
• Activities for kids
• On-site camping
• Food vendors
• Goodie bags with dash plaques and a raffle ticket for the first 300 registered Jeeps
• Over 100 different vendors of Jeep-related products
• Jeep parade on Saturday

Award categories include Best Military Display, Best Overland Equipped, Best After-Market Equipped and Best “Lit” Jeep.

Jennifer Watson, Jeep Show Chairman for PA Jeeps bought her first Jeep soon after high school. It was a 1989 Jeep Wrangler YJ, and she still owns it.  After nearly 30 years of wheeling and Jeep culture in her blood, she has added a 1947 Willys CJ-2A and a 2003 Wrangler TJ to her collection. Watson said, “I believe the Jeep culture has sustained since its military beginning because Jeeps are just fun. You can take the top off most of them, let your hair blow in the wind and let all your troubles blow out with it. They are the most versatile off-pavement vehicle and daily vehicle for any weather condition. The Jeep brand has the distinction of having one of the highest proportions of original vehicles still in running condition. The longevity of the vehicle aids in sustaining the brand.”

Watson believes the current devotion to Jeeps started “with ‘M*A*S*H’ and ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ along with their appearance in ‘Jurassic Park’. It all began with the G.I.s returning from WW2, who had access to inexpensive surplus Jeeps that helped foster their popularity in the civilian world. Many of the returning G.I.s had fond memories of a Jeep that got them through some difficult times during the war.”

Since the start of model-year, when 4-door Wranglers were introduced, the brand boomed in its following and appeals to those who want to experience the Jeep lifestyle. High residual values for used Wranglers have also helped.

According to Watson, “Today's culture is much different than when I started in the Jeep world. Many of the old-school Jeepers would pack up to go camping and trail riding for a weekend with a group of friends. It seemed like a smaller close-knit group, if you happened to run into other Jeepers, they were just part of the group and were added in. Back in the day, you carried everything with you in your Jeep, from extra parts and emergency gear, to extra clothes. You were always prepared for anything and if you didn't have it someone else did.”

Part of the culture phenomenon is “The Jeep Wave.” According to Watson, it began soon after WWII. According to Watson, “After the soldiers returned home, the Jeeps that were not destroyed were purchased by returning soldiers. Soldiers riding around in their Jeeps would wave to fellow Jeepers to greet their fellow soldiers. During WWII, the wave was said to be a form of communication with allies or fellow soldiers with supplies, or with wounded soldiers. The wave continued with civilians who purchased Jeeps and saw others wave. There are rules to the Jeep wave as well. As you approach another Jeep the lesser of the two waves first.”

The 25th Annual All Breeds Jeep Show at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds this weekend is hosted by PA Jeeps Inc. The family-oriented club has been in existence for 26 years and promotes the safe and fun use of Jeeps on- and off-road. Watson said, “The membership is made up of people all walks of life with the common goal of enjoying their Jeep and promoting the brand with like-minded people. We expect up to 500 Jeeps to register for the Show n’ Shine event, with judging split into 13 classes spanning the 80 years of Jeep. Many of the owners will then take their Jeep on the show’s obstacle course. We came to Carlisle this year to expand the future of the Jeep show.”

> 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>

If you are a truck guy or truck woman, the look of your truck is part of your truck world. Whether it is a big rig, half-ton, off-road, or family-grocery store ride, the looks of trucks have driven the truck scene as much as work performance and utility.

For many, it is the low truck that floats their boat … or drives their truck; and while the term “low truck” today, is often associated with skateboards, with the wheels sitting closer to the board, creating a tighter center of gravity, there is a real low truck culture on the truck scene, that many believe began with minitrucks or lowriders decades ago.

The “Lowrider” car culture began in Los Angeles, California, in the 1930s, gained following in the mid-to-late 1940s and flourished in the 1950s, as some trend-setting Mexican-American youths lowered blocks, cut spring coils, z'ed (zig-zag to lower the body) the frames and dropped spindles on their rides. Their goal was to show off their work and their style while cruising as slowly as possible for maximum show value: “Low and Slow” was their motto. Many early lowriders (who called themselves pachucos), didn't customize their cars and trucks for nights at the drag strip. Instead, they wanted cars to look good and be comfortable as they cruised the streets, hoping to gain local cred, and to impress girls. By redesigning these cars and trucks in ways that go against their intended performance purposes, and in painting their cars to reflect and hold meanings from their culture, lowriders created cultural and political statements that stood out then, and that hold over today in terms of style and lifestyle. Low truck enthusiasts have transcended single cultures, and have mainstreamed with continued growth and excitement burgeoning today.

Typically, a lowrider (also called a minitruck) is a customized car or truck with a lowered body. These customized vehicles generally feature individual paintjobs with bright, glossy paint, intricate, colorful designs, and roll on wire-spoke wheels with whitewall tires. Low truck owners often trick out their interiors with vibrant fabrics and finishes. The lowrider or low truck term describes a class of vehicle, not simply the height from ground to chassis, and one of the popular canvases of early low trucks were 1950s Chevy trucks.

This year’s Carlisle Truck Nationals, August 6-8 at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds, pays homage to the low truck culture with “The Low Show at Carlisle”, spotlighting minitrucks, truck clubs, style and creativity. Among the low truck festivities scheduled are a Low Show Skating Parade, open drag runs, Low Truck Limbo Contest, showfield judging, tailgate parties and more.

Shannon Hipple, one of the driving forces behind “The Low Show” hasn’t missed a Carlisle Truck Nationals show since 1999. He got into minitrucks when he was 10 years old, when his parents bought a brand new 1990 Chevy S-10 longbed powered by a 4.3-liter V-6 with a manual 5-speed transmission. His mom’s daily ride, it became Hipple’s first car when he turned 16. Hipple said, “Right about that time, I worked with a kid named Scott, who had a Jeep Cherokee with 2-inch-x-12-inch JL Audio subwoofers, a set of 15-inch American Racing wheels and a neon kit. That is what got me into custom vehicles. So, like many of us in the mid-’90s, I put on just about every possible bolt-on accessory you could get at Pep Boys, the biggest amp I could afford from Radio Shack, and a set of 10-inch truck boxes. Next, I got a set of split 3-spoke 15-inch American Racing wheels and a set of fog lights for the truck.  At one point, I probably had a mile of chrome pinstriping tape on it.”

Lowering his truck was next. Hipple said, “I started to notice lowered trucks, and a guy at my high school with a lowered truck put me in contact with his mechanic. After the mechanic installed a 3-inch/4-inch lowering kit on my S-10, I was hooked.” Since then, Hipple rebuilt it, tore it apart, rebuilt it again and began taking the truck to shows including the Carlisle Truck Nationals.

For Hipple, the show and the genre are about hanging out with his friends and the people he has met at shows over the years. He said, “It's the trucks that bring us together, but it's the people that make the scene what it is.” 

The club scene at the show is also Hipple’s focus. He said, “I remember walking the field at Carlisle back in 1999 and the early 2000s, and saw trucks lined up all with the same logo on the front or back windows -- I thought it was the coolest thing. In my local area, there were only a handful of minitrucks, so it was awesome to see so many clubs all come together for the shows. My friends and I joined a local car club and in April 2004, we thought about starting our own club. At the local diner, we gathered all of our friends who had minitrucks and had our first club meeting, where we discussed rules and club names. After voting, we decided to name our club ‘Diverse Rides Truck Club’, which was ironic, because at the time, we all owned Chevy S-10s. Our vehicle tastes have changed, so in 2014, we dropped ‘Truck Club’ from our club name and open it to cars as well. We are now ‘Diverse Rides’ and we have about 15 members, just a small part of the Minitruckin Family.” 
 
In the 22 years that Hipple has been coming to Carlisle for the Truck Nationals, Hipple, has seen relationships grow, dedication to the genre increase and creativity expand. This year's Carlisle Truck Nationals will feature trucks from about 20 clubs from all over the country, including such clubs as Acrophobia/East Coast Minis/Evil, Banzai Cruisers, Diverse Rides, Exceeding Limits, Freaks of Nature, Groundscrapers/Visual Reality, Grounded 4 Life, Local Finesse/Low Standards, Low on Air, Sunset, and Time-N-Money. 
 
Low trucks and four-wheeled icons of all kinds are among thousands of trucks presented at the Carlisle Truck Nationals, Aug. 6-8 at the Carlisle (PA) Fairgrounds. Visitors can enjoy or actively be a part of one of the largest and most action-packed truck events in the world. They can see of show off lifted, lowered, classic, antique, modern, two- or four-wheel drive, jeeps, monster trucks, vans, big rigs or mini trucks, and discover trucks that span the decades, from original classics to the newest, latest and greatest models.

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.

Another car show at Carlisle and guess what, another Showfield record is broken in 2021!  Since the Carlisle Events schedule launched in January of 2021, turnout for events has been near or above record numbers and that trend continued July 9-11 as part of the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals.  The “Mopar Madness” was on full display, as was an all-new record of 2,926 cars, mixing perfectly with a sold-out swap meet of vendors.

The three-day affair is always extended to four with the annual Mopar Rebellion kick-off party, held starting at 4 p.m. on the Thursday before show weekend.  That get together was the perfect jumping off point for what would end up being three full days of energy, parts shopping and unmatched camaraderie. 

Once the sun rose on the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds July 9 through the final load-out on Sunday, the place was hopping with special displays, vendors, guests and special attractions.  Spotlighted in 2021 were the Demons, 50-years of 1971 Mopars, Old Skool Paint, and even Dirty ‘Birds.  Buildings T and Y saw a lot of eyes, as guests checked out the likes of a 1971 Road Runner that was salvaged and rebuilt following Hurricane Katrina, another ’71 that was driven direct from Connecticut to Carlisle with no AC or power steering and even a ’71 with a big Warner Brothers Road Runner protruding from the hood (beep! beep!).  Not far from there was a nice mix of Forward Look cars in Building R.  This display included designers Gordon Davis and Diran Yazejian.

The Forward Look guys weren’t the only special guests, as Carlisle welcomed Herb McCandless, the Golden Commandos, Ramchargers, Joe Zolper and Dave Rea too.  For McCandless, his appearance was supported by the world premiere of a documentary titled “Mr. 4 Speed,” some of which was shot in Carlisle in 2019.

While the nice mix of cars looked great on the Showfield, did you know that people come to Carlisle for something other than the diverse mix of cars?  It’s true!  The swap meet at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals is the biggest and best of its type and for weeks leading up to event weekend, was sold out.  Once July 9-11 rolled around, those spaces were packed with vendors selling millions of pieces and parts and a customer base eager to buy! 

The sights and sounds of the event were palpable too, with engine revs, horn honks and blowers whining all weekend. Some of the best sensory moments came from car parades, plus competitions including rolling exhaust, real street shootout and even open autocross runs.  Just like the Showfield winners, these competitions sent a handful of participants home with awards and memories to cherish for years to come.  It truly was amazing!

Though this year’s event has concluded, preparations are underway for the 2022 show.  Next year’s fun runs July 15-17.  Save the date and register today because it’ll be a fun one! 

 

Carlisle Events and Carlisle Auctions introduced itself to the Sunshine State in 2012 with a handful of events in southeastern Pasco County.  Beginning in the fall of 2015, events transitioned to Polk County and the spacious SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus.  After a record-breaking Lakeland Winter Collector Car Auction in February, Carlisle Auctions is offering double the fun with a return to the facility for a fall offering; the Lakeland Fall Collector Car Auction. 

Running two days, November 12-13, 2021 starting at 10:30 a.m. daily, the fall Lakeland auction brings classic and collector car fun to the complex in the days leading up to Thanksgiving and anticipates 400 consignments crossing the block, but likely more given the demand within the classic and collector car hobby.

This November auction is back and better than ever!  It comes to SUN ‘n FUN due to the success of not only the Lakeland Winter Collector Car Auction in February but the overall success of auctions in 2021, auctions which have seen record setting results for Carlisle Auctions, off the charts sell-through rates, and unmatched buyer and seller interest.  As an added bonus, the November auction gives participants three ways to bid, in person, online or on the phone and a more streamlined process overall.

“We are thrilled to be returning to the beautiful facility at SUN ‘n FUN in Lakeland this November,” said Director of Auction Operations Tony Cline.  “The collector car market is stronger than ever and our Lakeland Winter Collector Car Auction this past February proved that as it was the most successful auction that we have ever presented in the state of Florida.  In addition, our Spring Carlisle Auction was the most successful auction ever in the history of Carlisle Auctions.  We look forward to carrying this momentum forward!“

In addition to the aforementioned Fall Lakeland auction, Carlisle Auctions has a few more dates to save on its upcoming schedule.  In the coming weeks, the Carlisle Expo Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania comes to life as part of Fall Carlisle.  The Fall Carlisle event runs September 29-October 3, while the Fall Carlisle Collector Car Auction at the Expo Center runs September 30-October 1.  Following that event, it’s the Fall Lakeland offering (November 12-13), then the Carlisle Auctions team returns to Lakeland for a February auction, February 25-26, 2021.  Two months after that and not long after the first days of spring in 2022, the Spring Carlisle Collector Car Auction returns to the Carlisle Expo Center. 

In total, the next 12 months will see well over 1,200 consignments cross two different auction blocks at two venues spanning two states.  Millions in sales will be generated and it’s all powered by Carlisle Auctions!  Carlisle Auctions also offers THREE great ways to bid and buy; on the phone, online or in person!  Details on parking, spectator admission, etc. will be included in the Lakeland Fall Collector Car Auction preview in late September/early October.  For specifics on every event on the schedule, including the November return to Lakeland, details on how to register to bid, consign to sell or even attend as a spectator call 717-960-6400 or visit CarlisleAuctions.com.