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Landscape close-up photograph view of a custom-themed vintage dark metallic blue Ford F-150 Ranger XLT truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways parked on a brick ground parking lot area nearby some people, other random assorted vehicles, and a building in the far distance on a somewhat cloudy overcast day
Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage bright metallic orange Ford truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways parked on a brick ground parking lot area nearby some people and other random assorted vehicles on a somewhat cloudy overcast day
Ford Fanatics typographic title in dark blue
The 2024 Grand National F-100 Show Brings 1,200 Trucks to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
BY Tommy Lee ByrdIMAGES BY THE AUTHOR
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ruck shows have been around for decades, but there were many years when attendance seemed to plateau. It felt like the same trucks parked in the same spots each year. Even though each show was a reunion of sorts, the repetitive nature of many shows caused them to lose the “wow” factor that once made them so great. One of the events that broke the mold was the Grand National F-100 Show, held in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The tourist town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is filled with Ford trucks of all generations, converging on the LeConte Center every May.

For 2024, Joe Carpenter and crew rearranged the parking layout to better suit the event. The new layout provided ample parking area in the outdoor show and shine area, as well as an expanded area for vendors and swap meet. The show continued its proven footprint inside the LeConte Center with an outstanding display of show trucks, vendors, and great food. The adjustment to the parking area was a welcomed change, as it allowed for more than 1,200 trucks to pour into the area and offers room to grow even more.

Dozens of awards in eight categories of judging covered all generations of classic Ford trucks, ranging from the ’30s through 1996. Specialty awards included Best Crew Cab, 4×4 Trucks, Panel Trucks, Best Patina Truck, and more. The Top 3 trucks included Holden Jung’s 7.3L Godzilla-powered 1956 F-100, Billy McSwain’s elegant and slick 1962 F-100 unibody, and Dennis and Saun Strobel’s ultra-clean 1950 F-1 pickup.

As this event continues to grow, we see such a great variety of trucks come from all over the country to participate. Patina is popular but there were lots of slick trucks and even a few historic trucks on the grounds, including the one-of-one 1963 F-100 XL factory drag truck that has survived all these years. We noticed an uptick in four-wheel-drive trucks, adding to the variety of truck builds in the massive show area. We’re excited to see how this show continues to grow and already making plans for May 15-17, 2025, as the world’s largest classic Ford truck show once again takes over Pigeon Forge.

Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage rusty dark metallic red Ford F-250 truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways parked on a brick ground parking lot area nearby other random assorted vehicles on a somewhat cloudy overcast day
Landscape close-up photograph view of a custom-themed vintage dark metallic black Ford F-100 Ranger truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways plus it has flame style pattern decals all over the truck as it is parked on a brick ground parking lot area nearby a fence and a building in the far distance on a somewhat cloudy overcast day
Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage, rusty dark metallic red Ford F-850 truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways revealing its exposed engine as it is parked on a brick ground parking lot area nearby some people, other random assorted vehicles, and a red umbrella style tent on a somewhat cloudy overcast day
Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage, rusty light powder blue Ford truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways revealing its exposed engine as it is parked on a brick ground parking lot area nearby some people, other random assorted vehicles, and blue tents on a somewhat cloudy overcast day
Landscape close-up photograph view of a custom-themed vintage dark marine blue Ford truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways revealing its exposed engine as on the passenger door it says KC's Paint Shop while this car is parked inside a showroom area of a building as a man in a faded red hat, button-up dress shirt, and blue denim jeans scans the inside engine car of this vehicle
Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage dark blue Ford truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways revealing its exposed engine as it is parked on a brick ground parking lot area nearby some people, other random assorted vehicles, tents, banners, and flags in the far distance on a somewhat cloudy overcast day
Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage metallic light sky blue/cream white Ford F-250 truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways revealing its exposed engine as this car is parked inside a showroom area of a building as there are people nearby
Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage dark yellow Ford F-100 truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways revealing its exposed engine as this car is parked inside a showroom area of a building as there are people nearby, other random assorted vehicles, and a black/blue Wyatt's Rides branded logo tent showing the website wyattsrides.com, Follow on Instagram, and Follow on Facebook icons
Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage metallic black Ford truck vehicle parked inside a showroom area of a building as there is a man seen in a green t-shirt, black hat, light grey denim jeans, and black/white converse shoes seen walking away from the car
Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage rusty light powder blue Ford F-100 truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways revealing its exposed engine as it is parked on a brick ground parking lot area nearby other random assorted vehicles and tents in the far distance on a somewhat cloudy overcast day
Landscape close-up photograph view of a custom-themed vintage metallic dark beige/red/white/black Ford F-100 truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways revealing its exposed engine plus across the driver's door area it shows B/FX F-100 XL as well as the Ford logo and on the side of the grille area it shows The Original Junkyard Dog painting illustration as this car is parked inside a showroom area of a building as there are people nearby and other signage banners in the far distance
Landscape close-up photograph view of a vintage metallic black Ford F-250 four wheel drive truck vehicle with its front top hood slightly open halfways revealing its exposed engine as it is parked on a brick ground parking lot area nearby other random assorted vehicles, a person seated down in a tent chair, and a tent in the far distance on a somewhat cloudy overcast day
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