Street Rod Nationals

The Street Rod Nationals is the world's largest Street Rod gathering. It is hosted, annually, by the NSRA (National Street Rod Association). Every year that it has been held in its current location, in Louisville, Kentucky, the event has topped more than 10,000 cars. All of these cars are "Pre-49" (Manufactured before the year 1949).

Tens of thousands of spectators attend each year. The event also houses more than 500,000 square feet (46,000 m²) of indoor street rod vendors, representing every facet of the automotive hobby, and selling everything needed to build a turn-key street rod. The Street Rod Nationals is viewed as a showcase of street rodding and over 150 new items were introduced there, in 2006.

Seminars are available daily and cover a wide array of topics. Other highlights include the NSRA Safety Inspection Team, street rod scales (courtesy of UPS), "Women's World", 29-Below Shows, a Pro's Pick area, Mopar Country, Commercial Way (hosted by UPS), "Outstanding use of Color" Awards (picked by PPG), games, three entertainment performances, a church service, and "people mover" trams to make traveling the fairgrounds easier.

The inaugural Street Rod Nationals took place in 1970 at Peoria, Illinois. The Nationals rotated between several cities in the 1980s and 1990s. It was held at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio on a three-year cycle numerous times (1978, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996).