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		The Donald E. Stevens Convention Center was the place to be November 22-23. Any Downloadable Files Associated with this Article (Click on the file name to download it)
The gate sentry this year was this ultra rare 1971 Hemi Cuda convertible—1 of 11.
2014 Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals VI, November 22-23 - Chicago, IL
Click on the Thumbnails Below to Enlarge By Eric White, No Limits Magazine, feature writer - Photos by the author Pilgrimage - a journey to a place associated with someone or something well known or respected. In the last few years the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals has established itself as the place associated with well-known and certainly well respected muscle cars and Corvettes of every type. This is a worthy journey for any performance car lover. With digital camera and tripod in hand, we made our own pilgrimage to Rosemont, Illinois and the expansive Donald E. Stevens Convention Center on the customary weekend before Thanksgiving. Weather this time of year in this part of the country can be a little bit hairy for drivers, but if one wishes to fly into Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, the short, five-minute shuttle ride to the center pays virtually no mind to nasty meteorological phenomena. Driving conditions this year turned out to be favorable for the vast majority of participants and spectators turning out to experience the over 500 vehicles and vendors set up in the four main-floor exhibit halls of the Stevens. As site show schedules worked out this year, a bonus weekend event was also taking place on the second level of the building: a sports collectibles show. Three major supporters, Mecum Auctions, Bill Stasek Chevrolet of Wheeling, Ilinois, and Reliable Carriers, Inc sponsored displays or physically helped deliver a number of valuable vehicles to the show. Nearly thirty additional secondary sponsors hosted their own displays or special vehicle classes. The Mecum display, near the main entry, featured the very colorful Hemi Orange, a highly optioned and Sunroof-equipped, 1971 Hemi Charger R/T from the Wellborn Musclecar Museum Collection. The Wellborn Musclecar Museum, in order to make room for a wider variety of vehicles, is thinning out its healthy inventory of 1971 Chargers, along with several other select vehicles, at the Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida in January 2015. This premier event is not merely a static display of several hundred spectacular collector vehicles, it’s a unique gathering designed to delight and entertain. Their traditional structure of themed displays combined with the more traditional individual set-ups offers categories of many variations. Pick your poison: Cobra Jet Performance–428 and 429 Cobra Jet powered Ford Mustangs, Cougars, and Torinos 1968-1971. L89 Chevys–L89-equipped 427 Corvettes and SS396 Chevelles, El Caminos, and Camaros. Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race–Featured participants from the popular PSMCDR. Class of 1964–Performance stars from the year 1964. Class of 1969–Performance stars from the year 1969. Corvette Race Cars–Documented race competitors. Real Pace Cars–Actual pace cars that led the pack at the Indy 500 and other venues. Color My World–High Impact, Big Bad, and Competition were terms applied to the colorful hues of the classic muscle car era. 50th Anniversary of the Chrysler Hemi–a collection of hemi-powered MOPARS from 1964-1971. 50th Anniversary of the Pontiac GTO–a celebration of the pioneering muscle car from Pontiac 1964-1974. 50th Anniversary of the Ford Mustang–a gathering of the first Pony Car 1965-1972. Ford Boss 429 Mustangs–two years of high performance big cube rarity 1969-1970. Corvette Central Triple Diamond Corvettes–very special Corvettes that have earned multiple awards. Barn Finds and Hidden Gems–long forgotten or ignored performance gems liberated from barns and garages. Vintage Certification Program–a program designed to verify the provenance of originality. Premier Showings and Unveilings–first time individual reveals of ten freshly restored performance icons. Muscle Bikes–pedal-powered classics featuring banana seats, sissy bars, ape hanger handlebars, 5-speed stick shifts, springer front forks w/disc brakes, and red line or white lettered tires. Vehicles from over twenty states ranging from California to Rhode Island, several provinces of Canada, and at least one car from Australia made up the show display population this year, and over a dozen top muscle car restoration shops from across the country exhibited their splendid works of art. With this kind of horsepower on display, you know that you will not find a better quality group of classic muscle cars and Corvettes/Stingrays under one roof anywhere! Add to the mix free seminars, celebrity appearances, a large vendor area, and activities for the youngsters including a kid’s scavenger hunt, “Make & Take” model car area sponsored by Revell, and youth judging sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, and you have a little something for everyone. Next year's extravaganza is already in the planning stages. Remember, this is an invitation or pre-approved entry event. For the official endorsement of your car's participation, or for any other questions on next year's event, contact main man Bob Ashton via: Snailmail–MCACN, PO Box 182068, Shelby Township, MI 48318-2068 Phone–586-549-5291 Fax–586-997-1356 Email–bashton426@gmail.com Web–musclecarandcorvettenationals.com. Tell him you heard about the show in No Limits Magazine! If you are looking for one major show to accommodate your own car show pilgrimage in the next twelve months, this one is as good as any in the world. Eight Boss 429 Mustangs. One nasty Studebaker, this '64 Daytona is powered by the supercharged R3 optioned engine. At the head of a row of vintage Plymouth and Dodge racers, this bumble bee dodge is the winningest of them all. 427 motorvated Galaxie 500 convertible was part of the Class of '64 display This '65 GTO was a cornerstone of the 50th Anniversary of the GTO display. Dodge built exactly two 4-door Coronets in 1966. Both of them were red, and both of them were in the show. This is the only vinyl covered roof Shelby Mustang GT-350 fastback ever built. It is in the Color My World display. 1967 Beaumont SD features Chevy sheet metal and drivetrain, and Pontiac-inspired interior. Mod Top Camaro was created by famed customizer George Barris. Aftermarket Mod Tops were available for any 1967 Chevrolet. Also part of the Color My World group. Red 1969 Mustang is part of the Boss 429 posse. Barn Find '69 W31 F85 came out of a long, dirty slumber to be in the show. This the number 2 Indy 500 pace car for the '69 race. Both #1 and #2 cars were on display. A rare Stage 1 GS400 convertible. A well-maintained, original-owner '69 Camaro Z28 entered in the Vintage Certification program. Striking black '70 Torino Cobra 429 Super Cobra Jet. A lovely line of Generation “C1” Corvettes. Part of the Class of '69 display. Many memories were stirred with this display of “Muscle Bikes.” The Wellborn Musclecar Museum's '71 Hemi Charger R/T Sunroof display sits in the Mecum Auction courtesy area. Even a few examples of early performance cars were on display, like this altered Willys.