All Mopar Event at the Gilmore Car Museum Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Charger and Hemi

The resounding answer will be “YEAH, its got a Hemi!,” during the very popular MOPARS at the RED BARNS car show and swap meet that takes place at the Gilmore Car Museum on Saturday, July 30 from 9am to 3pm. Presented by the West Michigan Mopar Club for its 28th year, this family-friendly car show and swap meet is the region’s largest all-Chrysler products event of its type. More than 350 Mopars—Chrysler Corporation’s name for its product lines that include Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto and Imperial—will take over the Gilmore Car Museum historic campus. The show is open to all Chrysler powered vehicles of all eras, including muscle cars, antiques, street rods, and trucks. This year’s event honors the 50th Anniversary of the Dodge Charger and the Chrysler Street Hemi, as well as the 40th Anniversary of the Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare. The iconic Charger was introduced in 1966 as a two-door fastback hardtop, dominated NASCAR in 1969 and ten years later the orange “General Lee” sped onto TV screens in the CBS hit “Dukes of Hazzard.” When it comes to muscle cars the 426-HEMI has obtained legendary status. It was 50 years ago that it first became available on civilian production cars and went on to help define an era and set the question, “That thing got a Hemi?,” into our memories. In 1976, the all-new models Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare were designed to be more upscale than their predecessors, Dart and Valiant. Motor Trend magazine named them the “Best Buy of the Day” and followed that up with awarding both as "Car of the Year." Saturday’s event promises to be the largest Mopar gathering in the Midwest as it fills the show fields at the Gilmore Car Museum. Whether your dream machine is a Dodge Charger, Plymouth Barracuda, or a vintage DeSoto or Imperial, you’re sure to find it—or that hard to find part needed to finish your project car—at MOPARS at the RED BARNS car show and swap meet on Saturday, July 30. Participants can show their Mopar powdered vehicles for $20 each, while the general public will be admitted for only $12.00 per person. That includes visiting the entire Gilmore Car Museum campus and all exhibits at no extra charge, and those under 11 are FREE! The Gilmore Car Museum—North America’s Largest Auto Museum—is located just 20 minutes northeast of Kalamazoo on M-43 and Hickory Road. You can learn more about the Museum and its events at www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org or call 269-671-5089 for more information.