Mustang 40th Anniversary
Written by Keith Fudge

It is difficult to believe that the Ford Mustang celebrated its 40 th birthday in 2004. It seems as if it were only yesterday, when TV commercials depicted a herd of wild horses whose presence announced a new type of American car. Then there were songs about a girl named Margie who, “got a Mustang.” Well, the car lived up to the hype as the Ford Mustang became an icon in the American automotive industry with a dedicated and loyal following of owners. Last April, the Mustang Club of America (MCA) threw this automotive icon a 40 th birthday celebration in Nashville , Tennessee . Dennis Gage and the crew from My Classic Car were lucky enough to be on the guest list.

The four-day event was held last April 15-18 at the Nashville Superspeedway, a location that allowed participants to take their Ponies out on the open track and let the horses loose! After he arrived, Dennis spoke with Jim Chism, Executive Director of the MCA, who told Dennis how happy they were to be in the Music City . Jim stated that the group had sponsored birthday parties for the 30 th and 35 th anniversaries on the appropriate years, but this year's event was truly something special. The 1.88 mile racetrack kept many of the more than 3,000 ponies on hand ready to gallop. Watching or driving cars on an open track wasn't the only thing to see and do at the event. There were more than 300 vendors that were all about Mustangs, and there were 55 major sponsors in attendance! In addition, there were Ford Tech Talks and autograph sessions with some of the biggest names connected with the Ford Mustang. Members of the original design team were present for these sessions as well as legendary innovators such as Carroll Shelby, Jack Roush, and Steve Saleen. This event was a Mustang lover's dream as there were the cars, the men who made them, the track, and beautiful weather where it all could be seen! Speaking of things to see, Dennis decided it was time to get out and about and see some of these great Ponies!

First, Dennis ran into Kevin Szkrybalo and his pristine 1964½ Mustang. This car was truly an early production model and was celebrating its birthday during this very event, as it was made on 4-19-64! Kevin told Dennis that he found the car in Springfield , Illinois . Much of the car was still original, including the dash, the headliner, and even the power steering pump. One oddity of this early pony was that it was powered by a factory 260 cubic inch V-8! Next, Dennis found Tim Gau with his Bright Yellow 1970 Boss 302! These Mustangs were the kings of the streets, and this awesome Pony sported a variety of Ford options such as sport slats on the rear window, a deluxe interior package complete with console, and power steering. Tim has owned the four-speed Boss for five years, and by the way he was talking, we don't see him letting go of it anytime soon! Way to go, Tim!

On down the line, Dennis ran into a true Mustang family! Darrell Kight had brought his 1965 2+2 Fastback to the event. This beauty was fully loaded and was equipped with a rally package. Darrell's wife has a 1966 Mustang, and his young daughter has a 1965 in the garage waiting on her! Finally, Dennis found Michael Albano and his truly special 1986 Stang. Although the car resembles a Saleen, Michael told Dennis that it wasn't. However, he did say that the car had been restored using all Saleen parts! Michael is the original owner of this car and told Dennis that it had 177K miles on it before he rebuilt it. The car is now “race-ready” and sports a roll bar and full racing seats. Michael and his brother Anthony built the 302 cubic inch power plant that is bored .030 over and is fitted with AFR 165 heads. This beast makes 10.75:1 on the compression scale and can definitely light up the asphalt! In fact, it has won several race competitions!

At last, Dennis spoke with Ford Marketing Manager, Paul Russell, about the real star of the event: the newly engineered and redesigned 2005 Ford Mustang. On display was a stunning example of the next generation of Mustangs from Ford. According to Paul, this car represents everything that is “Blue Oval” and is a vehicle that Ford wanted to give to all of the loyal Mustang owners of the past 40 years. The display car, a Redfire 2005 Mustang GT coupe, drew the attention of everyone at the event. With its retro look and obvious changes in design, nothing but words of approval were given! Dennis commented to Paul that he believed the car had borrowed some of its style from the 1967-68 Mustang. Paul said that while that may be the case, this Mustang is all new! He commented that the design team was given a “clean slate” to create the ultimate Mustang, and he thinks that they did an outstanding job! About the event itself, Paul commented that the MCA did a terrific job of playing host to approximately 100,000 participants and 4,000 cars at this location. No doubt about it, this show was all about the Ford Mustang: its past, its present, and its future. It was a celebration of the car, the men who designed it, and the company that built it. Not only has it played a great role in the history of American automobiles, but it has also made its mark in American popular culture in television and movies. Happy 40 th Birthday, Ford Mustang!

That's it from Nashville , Tennessee . So remember, “Honor the timeless classics. Happy Motoring!”