{"id":66575,"date":"2022-11-17T06:55:49","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T11:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/?p=66575"},"modified":"2024-03-25T11:20:13","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:20:13","slug":"muscle-car-and-corvette-nationals-rumble-into-chi-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/events\/2022\/11\/muscle-car-and-corvette-nationals-rumble-into-chi-town.html","title":{"rendered":"Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals Rumble into Chi Town!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s that time of year again when vintage, rare, iconic and exotic high-performance machines roll into the Windy City. We\u2019re talking about the annual Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals<\/a> that\u2019s held every November in massive Donald E. Stephens Convention Center<\/a> located in Rosemont, Illinois, just outside Chicago and along the flight path of the bustling O\u2019Hare Airport. The Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, known by many enthusiasts in the community simply as “MCACN”, has been the destination for those who get their fix of old-school muscle cars brought together in one location. Held the weekend before Thanksgiving, this show is also a tradition for many gearheads to come together and partake in the tradition of celebrating American muscle. The MCACN show has also seen its fair share of unveilings of rare cars brought back from the dead and restored to better-than-new condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What keeps the MCACN fresh and growing every year is the show\u2019s creator, Bob Ashton. You could compare his hard work to those of a conductor leading a band and making sure their timing is perfect. Ashton has to juggle many balls in the air prior, during and even after the show. From the fleet of orange Reliable semitrucks unloading their precious cargo of muscle cars, to the swap meet vendors wanting to know where to set up, Ashton\u2019s constantly on the move and making sure the thousands of spectators walking through the convention center\u2019s doors will be dazzled by the cars on display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe couldn’t be more excited about returning to the beautiful Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. The passion and enthusiasm for our hobby is at a fever pitch and we are geared up and ready to host over 550 cars that are joining us from across the country and Canada, and of course, all of the people that love these cars and the many memories that we can share. Being a ‘Mopar\u00ae<\/sub>‘ guy, I am especially pumped about what we have up front and throughout the show, whether it is the Red Carpet display or over in Barn Finds or Vintage Certification; we really have the bases covered for the Mopar enthusiasts,\u201d said Ashton. He\u2019s not kidding as, once again, Ashton, along with his team of volunteers, have scoured the planet locating rare machines that in some cases, have been hidden from the prying eyes of enthusiasts for decades. Here\u2019s what to expect at this year\u2019s MCACN show. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wings Over America – The MCACN Red Carpet display this year will feature 11 Dodge Charger Daytonas and 11 Plymouth Superbirds smartly displayed along the Red Carpet right as you enter the convention center. This will include the premier unveilings of two freshly restored “Wing Cars”, including a Charger Daytona that will be arriving from Kelowna, British Columbia. These Wing Cars are powered by a variety of big-block engines in even the iconic 426 Street HEMI\u00ae<\/sup> engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The “King Kong” HEMI \u2013 Making its debut, this 1970 Plymouth HEMI engine-powered ‘Cuda convertible has been packed away for over 46 years. By no means a “Barn Find”, it is remarkably well-preserved in its original condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Mopar Premier Unveilings \u2013 One Saturday during the show, there\u2019ll be two 1971 Plymouth \u2018Cuda Convertibles, a 1969 Charger Daytona, a 1971 Plymouth HEMI \u2018Cuda Hardtop and two original Plymouth “RO23” Super Stock HEMI Belvederes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ralph Gilles Hellucination 1968 Charger \u2013 While known for being the place to see beautifully restored original muscle cars, the MCACN show also invites the best modified cars. That is exactly what this state-of-the-art carbon-fiber 1968 Charger that pushes over 1,000 horsepower is. It’s owned by Stellantis Design Chief Ralph Gilles, who\u2019ll also be on hand to meet enthusiasts during the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Legends of Super Stock and Super Stock Panel Discussions \u2013 This year, Mopar is featuring over a dozen prime Dodge and Plymouth Super Stock racecars along with the drivers and team members that campaigned these machines back in the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mopar Alley and Mr. Norm\u2019s Invitational \u2013 This area will host over 30 Muscular Mopar vehicles from 1962-1973, while a special display is devoted to the history of the legendary Chicago dealer and the man behind it, Mr. Norm Kraus. The show will have Mr. Norm’s real modified and sold cars from 1965-2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Barn Finds – Of course, the infamous and fan favorite \u201cBarn Finds\u201d display will show off some rare and vintage Mopar muscle relics at this year\u2019s MCACN show. We\u2019re always amazed what Ashton\u2019s staff of hardcore muscle car volunteers unearth every time we come to this awesome event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dates for the 2022 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals are Saturday, November 19 through Sunday, November 20. Check out their <\/a>website for more details and we\u2019ll see you in the Windy City.<\/a> Meanwhile, here\u2019s a look back to last year\u2019s awesome MCACN show<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n