AMSOIL Vaughn Enterprises at Appleton Old Car Show & Swap Meet

46th Annual Appleton Old Car Show & Swap Meet

Sunday, July 21, 2024

Open to cars 1994 & older

Appleton Old Car Show & Swap Meet is free for spectators & show cars!
2024 Dash Plaque free for first 1,000 entrants!
Show Hours: 8am to 4pm

• Dash Plaques to first 1000 collector cars! Trophies in 29 Classes
• Spectators Welcome FREE Admission!
• Food & beverages available
• No registration fee for collector cars!
• Collector car entrants eligible to win a Miller Electric Welder (must be present to win)

The Pierce Park Car Show started in 1978 when four friends generated a plan to host a car show in Appleton, WI. with the general guidelines that it be a free show, and held in one of the city’s beautiful shaded parks, with proceeds going to local charities.

The friends enlisted local car clubs and a civic group to help with registration, parking, the swap/car corral areas and food/beverages.

316 cars attended the first year in 1978, with only 16 vendors. There have been as many as 1462 cars and 140 vendors on certain years since, depending on weather.

The show’s Great Motoring Memories, is a special display within the show that features uniquely special antique, classic, and one-of-a-kind automobiles that have achieved prominence in automotive history.  Many of these cars are extremely rare and seldom seen and are trailered to the show to help preserve them. This part of the show was organized by Bob Pintarelli, since its inception, but is now organized by Michael Keller.

We believe our show is one of the largest car shows in the midwest with typically 12,000-15,000 people in attendance, and cars covering the Brass era, muscle car years, Custom cars, and cars up to 30 years old from the current year.

The first year, there were Trophies in 5 classes, but now there are around 30 classes and some special awards given to best of show and Concours d’Elegance cars. The Car show hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an ever increasing number of early arrivals each year.

Since 1982, the Appleton-Fox Cities Kiwanis Club has organized food and beverages for the Sunday event with proceeds going to local charities. 

The Appleton Old Car Show & Swap Meet is a cooperative effort with over 100 volunteers helping from The Appleton Old Car Club, Inc., Fox Valley Street Rod Association, Packerland Region Vintage Chevrolet Club of America, and the Appleton-Fox Cities Kiwanis Club.

The Appleton Old Car Show is located at Pierce Park in Appleton WI.

The park is located off of Prospect Avenue. Show cars should enter the park from the entrance on the corner of Prospect Avenue & Pierce Avenue.