Mustang…Making Memories – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

The door opens and the driver enters….  sitting squarely in the seat, the key is placed into the ignition and the motor comes to life.  The smell of spent fuel mixed with the morning air makes you smile.  The clutch is depressed, the gas is applied and you put the shifter in first.   You know that as soon as the clutch is released… it will be the start of a great day.

Is it a Mustang??  Camaro…or perhaps a Challenger?   Does it matter?  It feels like the 70’s once again….proving that history does in fact repeat itself.

Looking back at the Mustangs from the 60’s and 70’s…. then looking forward to the Mustangs that Ford is building today, it is very easy to see the lines our heritage.   Sculpted Quarters… A dash with a purpose, hoods that contain power and in most every area you look and compare…you see it…Mustang.

Numbers and magic…  289, 302, 351, 390, 427 and 428.  All engines that some how made it to the engine bay of the early Mustangs… engines that made magic…. and legends that will live forever.

Today the pony wars continue but the only veteran who has stayed the entire time is Mustang.  The Camaro name faded from history when the glory was gone and Challenger receded when the power dried up.  Only Mustang continued to battle contenders when it came to offering the American public a car that they could call their own, and while some years the battle was hard to win, the Name “Mustang” never left the roads of America.

Be it 1964, 1970 or 2011… The Mustang is the car that everyone knows.  From the 10 year old and up…it is part of our Heritage and our culture.  Steve McQueen showed movie goers that bad guys can’t escape from the Mustang.  Caroll Shelby Showed the worlds that a Cobra Mustang will leave marks that make you smile.

Sonny and Cher had George Barris Custom Mustangs…a wild conversion a-la 1970’s… and President Bill Clinton had a 1967 Mustang Convertible with a powerful 390 v8!

Today’s Mustang has the look… but it also has the power.  A V6 that placed 300 hp at the command of the drivers foot, but without reaching for your gas card at each corner.  A V8 that is steady, reliable and powerful….  or the “Fangs” of the Shelby Super Snake that can pull over 800 hp out of it’s 2012 edition V8 powerplant.

Come on Camaro….bring it on Challenger…. it’s time to play once again…  We’re all friends here!  Go to a show, take a cruise, maybe even rev the engines a bit at the stop lights.  Let’s have some fun once again!

As you drive…look around.  Mustangs are everywhere and there is no end in sight!  Collectible Mustangs are still reasonable and great investments that can be driven and enjoyed…. The new Mustangs are affordable and plentiful….perhaps even tomorrows collectible that you can say….I used to have…  and perhaps still will.

So… Drop the clutch, hit the gas and shift those gears!  Get out and enjoy the feel of the road.  Remember to wave and smile back at those who watch you drive by.  They feel good seeing how much fun you’re having.  Regardless of whether you are driving a time “machine” from the early years… or perhaps you just left the dealers lot… smile and wave, you may be making a memory that will last for years to come! The last CNY Mustang & All Ford Tuesday cruise night is scheduled for August 23 at Cort Lanes on Tompkins St. at 5:30, come and join the fun. For more information about joining our club or perhaps to view our activities and schedule of events…go to: www.cnymustang-allford.com

Contributed by guest writer, Bill OGorman, Cortland NY.