Artomobilia of Carmel 2021

by  Chris Mulvihill - 09/02/2021

The heat index of 99 degrees did not dissuade an extremely large crowd from attending the Artomobilia Car Show. The 13th annual event was held on August 28th on Main Street (and several side streets) of the Arts and Design District in downtown Carmel, IN. This event featured close to 500 display cars which were broken into 20 classes. The cars ranged from pre-1924 through modern exotics. This year’s featured marque was Lotus with an impressive display of modern and a few vintage models. In 2019 a new attraction was added where Porsche, BMW, and Lotus car club members are invited to display their cars in ‘enthusiast corrals.’  

Indianapolis Lotus dealer Gator Motorsport was instrumental in assembling this Lotus line-up.

With the streets blocked off for the event, this permitted the restaurants and shops in the district to offer outside seating. This gave a welcoming resting spot out of the hot sun to enjoy a bite or beverage. It also created a very family-friendly atmosphere   

Carmel is a large Northern suburb of Indianapolis. It is fitting this event is held in the Arts and Design District as cars are a form of art and a big part of Indiana. At the beginning of the automobile era, Indiana was home to car manufacturers Duesenberg, Auburn, Cord with the most successful being Studebaker.  In addition to these car companies, there were hundreds of parts suppliers and of course the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In the early 1900s, all these factors made Indiana the second largest (Michigan was first) car-producing state. 

With 89,000 original miles, this 1966 Ford Country Squire wagon had power steering, power brakes, manual windows, and 4-40 air conditioning; four windows rolled down at 40 MPH.

In 2013 I displayed my Shelby Mustang GT in the Artomobilia and had the good fortune to win ‘Best in Class-Shelby Cars.’  It was a great day and I continue to display that trophy with pride.  In my 8 year absence, this event (and the downtown) has grown beyond expectations. The depth and quality of cars is impressive. If you find yourself close to Indianapolis in late August, I highly recommend putting this event on your calendar. 

 About the author: Chris Mulvihill is the owner of Classic Car Advisors which offer a number of services to owners of classic cars from inspections and evaluations to locating collectors and car assisting with Concourse d'Elegance placement.