Celebrating 10 Years of Artomobilia

Writer // Janelle Morrison - Carmel Monthly Magazine

The annual Carmel Artomobilia event has boasted one of the most eclectic gatherings of original period-correct automobiles anywhere, including Supercars, Exotic, Sports Cars, Classics, Racers, Historically Preserved, Indiana Built, Sedan/Coupe and more. The event brings in an estimated 15,000 spectators and enthusiasts into the heart of the city of Carmel. The event’s organizers and sponsors are celebrating the 10th year of this remarkable display of automotive ingenuity and design.

This year’s Artomobilia will take place Saturday, August 26 and will feature approximately 400 cars representing more than 26 classes, including the addition of a brand new class, the Resto-Mod Class. This new exhibition of vehicles will feature custom-built vehicles by Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy who is judging the new class.

Enthusiasts and collector cars come in all shapes and sizes, and the car corrals feature brand-specific examples across 26 different corrals. While these are not formally judged, they represent the best examples of what is going on in national and local car clubs as well as provide a great opportunity to see firsthand how you can participate in the car hobby.

Artomobilia Co-founder John Leonard is excited to share the event’s 10th anniversary with the 50th anniversary of the Chevy Camaro, including a display of various models of the iconic performance car, including a 1967 Chevy Camaro RS that was owned by the late Pete Estes, courtesy of his son, Bill Estes.

“We will see the return of the antique trucks class,” Leonard said. “Most of the classes are largely unchanged, but we’ve added some additional cars that haven’t been seen in those classes. We will have a Porsche Singer coming this year. It’s a little bit like a Resto-Mod except that it’s built using the best of Porsche’s parts – body, suspension, brakes, etc. That car is coming up from Jeffersonville and is worth between $400,000-$500,000. It is sure to be a real crowd pleaser. We will have a lot of other vehicles on display that are historically significant as well.”

Over the years, Artomobilia organizers have and continue to collaborate with local galleries and artists to represent the automotive art and design, embracing the local art and design found within the Carmel Arts and Design District. The Hoosier Salon, located in the Arts and Design District, will be featuring an invitational paint-out during Artomobilia where artists will be able to compete in a contest to earn the commission for the official promotional artwork for next year’s promotional materials of the event.

Adding another artistic component to Artomobilia, live music, and area bands will perform at various locations throughout the event on Saturday. The businesses and restaurants are also a major component of what makes the event attractive to attendees and unique from other car shows around the nation. Participants and owners of the cars on display continue to enjoy the amenities provided by the Carmel Arts and Design District.

When asked what it meant to him to be celebrating 10 years of the Carmel Artomobilia, Leonard said, “Ten years is a fascinating milestone. We’ve had a lot of growth over the years. Predominantly over the last five years, we’ve seen a lot of growth on a lot of fronts. We have a lot more people from the local

community involved in the event, and we’re getting a lot more attention both from within the greater metropolitan Indianapolis community as well as from around the country as we begin to bring on supporting organizations like Barrett Jackson and RM Sotheby’s Auctions.”

For more information and a list of events, visit carmelartomobilia.com.