For a car or motorcycle enthusiast, there’s nothing more exciting than seeing a vehicle up close that starred in a favorite movie. During Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Sept. 8–10 Charlotte AutoFair, fans will have a chance to spend time with the only DC-licensed jet-powered Batmobile; cars and bikes from Ghost Rider, Animal House, and Leatherheads; and a trio of big-screen big-rigs.

In Hollywood’s early decades, studios had a habit of abusing (or sometimes just throwing away) cars and motorcycles after they were driven by beloved movie characters. Anything before the 1960s that survived this neglectful practice did so purely by chance. Today, there is a thriving collector community whose members preserve (or, as is often the case, create accurate replicas of) such iconic vehicles. The Sept. 8–10 Charlotte AutoFair will pay tribute to such rides as:

  • Jet-powered 1966 Batmobile This licensed replica of the world’s most famous crimefighting car is authentically powered by a working Boeing T-50 jet turbine engine.
  • Ghost Rider motorcycles A movie vehicle collector is bringing a Harley-Davidson Sportster and Buell motorcycle that were featured in the 2007 Nicolas Cage superhero adaptation.
  • Animal House Corvette Actor Tim Matheson drove a 1959 Corvette in the 1978 film Animal House, after which the desirable sports car just vanished for 40 years. It has been located in original condition with only 37,000 miles on the odometer—a true barn find!
  • Leatherheads scene stealers A Carolinas car collector will be displaying two of his vintage cars that appeared in the 2008 George Clooney movie Leatherheads. The 1931 DeVaux Coupe is so rare that you are unlikely to see one outside of the film or AutoFair. The 1925 Packard has a fascinating history in that it served early in its life at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, where it was converted into a pickup for the gardener to use.
  • A bevy of big-rigs The 1970 Mack truck whose driver went by the CB handle “Rubber Duck” in the 1978 film Convoy headlines a trio of tough trucks. Replicas of Snowman’s 1973 Kenworth from Smokey and the Bandit and the 1960 Peterbilt from Duel will no doubt provide selfie backgrounds for thousands of spectators during AutoFair.

The jet-powered Batmobile, Ghost Rider bikes, Animal House Corvette, Leatherheads cars, and big-screen big-rigs will be displayed in the Showcase Pavilion during the Sept. 8­–10 Charlotte AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Other show highlights include an 18-cylinder Chevrolet pickup truck, a trio of Sept. 11 tribute cars, a half-dozen of Oldsmobile’s finest performance machines, and an array of beautiful rides from the Xquisite Car, Truck, and Jeep Club.

MORE INFO:

The Charlotte AutoFair features more than 50 car club displays and more than 10,000 vendor spaces offering an array of automotive parts and memorabilia. More than 1,500 collectible vehicles of all makes and models will be available for sale in the car corral that rings the 1.5-mile superspeedway throughout the three-day show. Hours for the Sept. 8–10 Charlotte AutoFair are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.

TICKETS:                                                                                                    

Single-day tickets are $10 on Thursday and $15 on Friday and Saturday for adults. Admission is FREE for children 12 and under with an adult. To buy tickets, AutoFair attendees can shop online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com, purchase at the gate, or call 800-455-FANS (3267).

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