CONCORD, NC. – Any enthusiast who is in-the-know is already well-aware that the annual Spring Charlotte AutoFair held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, is a bucket-list event of mega proportions. The Hornets Nest Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) actually hosts two meets at the speedway, one in the spring and one in the fall – but the Spring meet is by far the biggest, thanks in part to the AACA’s National Car Show held there each April. The massive flea market and car corral draws some 10,000 sellers and often as many as 150,000 attendees to this collector-car festival, and has been doing so for going on four decades now.
With this year’s Spring AutoFair event date of April 15th, 2023, being so close to National Mustang Day, it was no surprise that so many Mustangs and Mustang clubs were there to bolster the impressive Ford footprint at the speedway. This big show, coupled with Mustang day festivities planned at the Mustang Owner’s Museum just down the road from the track, brought together Mustang enthusiasts from all over the country on this weekend, drawing Mustang fans of all ages and backgrounds. Together with all the Mustangs up for sale in the AutoFair’s sprawling Car Corral and the club show vehicles, you could see just about everything here, from classic Mustangs to modern models.
The Charlotte Motor Speedway’s track and infield offer plenty of space for both the huge swap meet and car corral, as well as for all the clubs to showcase their vehicles. With the AACA assisting with club signage and parking throughout the venue, this was a fine time for Mustang owners to shop for parts or for their next project car, all while mingling with fellow owners and club members. This year, the Mustang clubs on-site had the opportunity to meet with one of Ford’s newest enthusiast programs, The Ford Special Vehicle Registry. Many owners then took the opportunity to talk to the program team leader and register their Mustang with www.SpecialVehicleRegistry.com.
Despite some Friday rain, the AACA’s Spring Meet at the Charlotte AutoFair was another huge success. The car show, car corral and club gatherings are impressive enough, but the world-class, large-scale flea market taking place in the infield puts it over the top. It includes everything you could think of automotive-wise, from vintage collector items such as signs, toys, and memorabilia to tools, old school parts and aftermarket accessories. With the Ford Performance Special Vehicle Registry team on-site to collect photos from registrants and talk to Mustang clubs, and the variety of other club and Ford-centric activities – including the Ford Performance Racing School giving ride-alongs in Mustangs – this was one event that every Mustang owner or enthusiast needs to put on their calendar for next year. In the meantime, check out some AutoFair photos below taken by our own Austin Atwood. Enjoy!
FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY AUSTIN ATWOOD