2005 Ford Mustang Tour Hits the Road

By: Ford Motor Company DEARBORN, Mich., April 22, 2004 - - The Ford Mustang is America's car, so Ford Motor Company is bringing Mustang to U.S. and Canadian cities in a 40-city tour to celebrate the car's 40th anniversary along with an entourage of its most devoted fans and their classic cars.

DEARBORN, Mich., April 22, 2004 - - The Ford Mustang is America's car, so Ford Motor Company is bringing Mustang to U.S. and Canadian cities in a 40-city tour to celebrate the car's 40th anniversary along with an entourage of its most devoted fans and their classic cars.

The tour begins today in Dallas and continues through Labor Day. The centerpiece is the newest incarnation of the Pony car pop-icon - a 2005 Ford Mustang GT. It will be accompanied by Ford's 300 millionth car, a 2004 Mustang, local Mustang car-club enthusiasts and a troupe of some 50 drivers and their Mustangs who are crossing the country at their own expense in "The Great American Pony Drive II" to celebrate the anniversary and welcome the new model.

Since its dramatic 1964 introduction when customers flocked to dealerships with checkbooks in hands, Mustang has been the icon of American performance and style. For 2005, Mustang combines all-new, fully modern architecture with all the soul that makes a Mustang a Mustang - bold style, a brawny engine and rear-wheel-drive excitement.

"The all-new version of the legendary Mustang is a great way to show Americans what we mean by our commitment to producing great products," said Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Company executive vice president and president of the Americas. "It's also a tangible example of Ford drawing on its storied past to help solidify a future centered on great products."

Some 50 classic Ford Mustangs will serve as the grass-roots entourage as Ford Motor Company takes the all-new 2005 Mustang GT on tour to 40 North American cities this spring and summer to celebrate the sports car's 40th anniversary and generate excitement for the new model.

The Mustang enthusiasts are crossing the United States and Canada under the banner of "The Great American Pony Drive II" and are meeting up with the 2005 Mustang Tour in 14 cities. The Pony Drive plans 50 stops in all. "Our first goal is to have fun. The second is to promote the entire Mustang industry," says Pony Drive leader Dave Turnbull, 54, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The troupe will stop at various national landmarks that reflect Mustang's pop-culture heritage such as the Buddy Holly Museum in Lubbock, Texas; a stretch of the fabled Route 66; and the site of the 1964 New York World's Fair, where Mustang officially debuted in 1964.

"The Beatles had their fan clubs and Britney Spears has hers," says Turnbull. "Our favorite pop star just happens to be made of sheet metal."

"The passion and dedication of the 40,000 card-carrying Mustang club enthusiasts around the globe make us extremely proud," says Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Company executive vice president and president of the Americas. "One thing Mustang owners and club members have made clear is this: As long as Mustang retains its integrity, they'll keep us king of the hill."

Pony Drive II consists of drivers from most of the 50 United States. The fleet is largely composed of 1964 to 1970 vintage Mustangs.

"The back-to-the-future design of the 2005 model has us really excited," Turnbull says. "It's like Ford is taking us home." Turnbull, a member of the 11,000-member Mustang Club of America since 1989, often has six vintage Mustangs parked on his front lawn. Three are his personal Ponies: a '65 GT convertible, '66 hardtop and the '64 1/2 convertible he's taking on the tour. His son Garrett has a '69 Mach 1 and an '89 GT, and daughter Jennifer has a 2001 Mustang coupe.

This year's tour is inspired by the original Pony Drive in 1989, which celebrated Mustang's 25th anniversary. Turnbull gave up his telecommunications job to plot routes, book hotels and exchange e-mails with his core group and eager Mustang enthusiasts all over the United States. Many Mustang fans are expected to ride a leg or two of the tour when it comes to the their towns.

Mustangs are a lifestyle, not just a hobby, for most of the Pony Drive enthusiasts. They decorate their homes in Mustang wallpaper, send their kids to school in Mustang-logo jackets and sneakers and spend their weekends swapping parts and stories with other Pony-car fanatics.