SerpApi.Org
It’s no surprise why the Ford Mustang continues to generate avid followers more than 60 years after its introduction.
“Everybody’s got a Mustang story, everybody’s had an uncle or cousin or best friend or somebody they didn’t like in high school who had a Mustang,” said Brett Grider of Springfield, Illinois. “They’ve either been upside down in one, winning a race in one, or just having fun in one because it is a real kid’s car.”
Grider brought his 2007 Shelby GT 500 to take part in Saturday’s 48th Mustang Roundup and All-Ford Car Show at Roberts Motors in Alton. Dozens of other enthusiasts also joined in the fun, including Aviston, Illinois, resident Ken Erwin with his 1972 Mustang.
“They were pretty healthy back in the day; they had some good motors in them,” Erwin said. “I didn’t get in any hurry working on this one. I’ve put a lot of time and effort into it, and it’s still got the original interior.”
Thomas Renfrow of Godfrey made sure his 1991 Mustang Convertible was in tip-top shape for Saturday’s show. It was one of the famed “Fox Body” Mustangs that departed from the traditional Mustang look for several years.
“The Fox Bodies were factory-built race cars, and I’ve had this on for about 25 years,” Renfrow said. “Driving it takes you back, the ride is different, and the power behind the wheel is pretty responsive.”
Purple was the theme for Bob Brenner of Bunker Hill, who had accessories, toys and clothing to match the color of his 1995 Mustang GT Convertible.
“It’s lots of fun to drive, and I’ve always wanted a convertible,” said Brenner, who purchased the car about a year ago. “And even though it’s purple, believe it or not, the factory called this color ‘sapphire blue.’”
According to the Mustang Maniac website, Ford Motor Company sold one million Mustangs in the first 24 months after it went on sale, the fastest time for a new nameplate to produce that amount of sales volume. The first Mustang sold to a retail customer, Ford says, was purchased by Chicago schoolteacher Gail Brown on April 15, 1964.
Mustangs have appeared in films and on TV shows more than 3,300 times in the past 50 years, and red has been the most popular exterior Mustang color through the years, followed by blue, silver, white, black, green, brown and yellow.
The success of the Mustang spawned other cars, including the Mercury Cougar, another Ford Motor Company product. Rick Peters from St. Charles, Missouri, had his 1968 Cougar at Saturday’s show.
“When this body style was first offered in 1967, the Cougar made up 50% of all sales for Lincoln-Mercury and pulled them out of financial trouble,” Peters said. “These have a little bit wider track and longer wheelbase than the Mustang, so it rides a little better.”
Peters said the Cougar, although it looks a lot like the Mustang, was intended for a more mature audience.
“The idea was that these cars would be for young executives who might get razzed if they pulled into work in a Mustang,” Peters said. “These cars had power windows, air conditioning, hideaway headlights, sequential taillights. There was no other car on the market that had the features the Cougar had.”
