23rd Camaro Nationals Moves to New Home in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, at the Classic Auto Mall
After 10 years in Frederick, Maryland, the Camaro Nationals is moving to Morgantown, Pennsylvania, this July 14-16, 2022, for the 23rd Camaro Nationals. It will now be held at the Classic Auto Mall. Note that the date and location are both changing, moving to a location with two indoor climate-controlled display rooms that can hold over three dozen Camaros!
The convention center, which is both a classic car museum and classic car consignment sales showroom, is connected to the host hotel for added convenience. Since the new date does not compete with other major GM, Chevrolet, or Camaro events in the area, the move sounds like a triple play … but then you realize there are around 1,000 classic and muscle cars in the convention center before all the Camaros even arrive.
Since 1999, the Camaro Nationals has been one of the premier Camaro events in the country, and the only one featuring a large selection of judging options, including the Legends Class. It’s been reported to be one of the most recognized concours system available to the Camaro hobby. Legends Class awards are often noted when Camaros are passing through Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, and other upper-level automotive auctions. An average of 350-400 Camaros attend each year, along with over 1,500 registrants and spectators. The event is all volunteer, non-profit, and is sponsored by Classic Headquarters, produced by the American Camaro Association, and hosted in conjunction with area Camaro clubs, including the Long Island Camaro Club, the Northeast Ohio Camaro Club, and the Lehigh Valley Camaro Club.
In addition to the hundreds of Camaros, a key feature of the event is the annual charity auction. Held since 2000, 100 percent of the auction proceeds are donated to various charities. Donations to date have totaled over $167,000. The major recipient for many years has been Harrisburg’s Silence of Mary Home, which works to provide a home and help to abandoned children. The Camaro Nationals has supported this cause for the great work they do and nearly all the funds go directly to benefit the children.
About the Convention Center: The Classic Auto Mall is located at 6170 Morgantown Rd., Morgantown, PA, 19543. It’s less than a mile from the Pennsylvania turnpike exit, making travel a breeze. As a rural town, there are no traffic backups or truck stops to deal with.
Originally a clothing outlet mall, the 40-acre property has 8 acres under one climate-controlled roof, 28 acres of paved, lined, and lit parking lot with outside space for 2,500 vehicles. The climate-controlled mall can house 1,400 vehicles inside, and there are generally 1,000 classic, vintage, muscle, and barn find vehicles on display. The Camaro Nationals will have room for around 75 indoor display and concours judged cars. The entire property is flat, devoid of hills, and the location has all the space one can imagine for vendors, swap meet, and trailer parking space abounds.
About the Host Hotel: The Morgantown Holiday Inn is attached to the Classic Auto Mall Convention Center, which means the concours judging and invitational displays are literally feet from the hotel rear entrance. The Camaro Nationals “room block” is larger than in the past, but with the new date bringing additional registrations, it will still fill quickly. There is a pool and bar just inside the convention entranceway, and the property was recently updated. There is a McDonald’s on the southeast corner of the property and the brand-new Hollywood mini-casino is located across the street.
For more information, you can contact, Karl Scheffy, cofounder and president of the American Camaro Association, at 5786 Buckeye Rd., Macungie, PA, 18062; call (610) 657-0457 or email info@camaronationals.org.
