DEARBORN, MI – Every August, thousands of Ford enthusiasts visit the Detroit Metro area to participate in many of the various automotive activities leading up to and including the famed Woodward Dream Cruise – and even the day after for the big “Mustang Memories and All Ford Show at Ford World Headquarters. This year, several Thunderbird clubs had reached out to Ford Performance Club Connect to see if anything was being done to help them celebrate the T-Bird’s 70th anniversary in 2025 when they get to The Motor City. After not finding any official corporate-backed events, Club Connect contacted the Mustang Owner’s Club of SouthEastern Michigan (MOCSEM), who in each of the past several years has hosted a “homecoming” event on the Thursday before the Woodward cruise for out-of-town Mustangers and special group reunions prior to the club’s Memories show at Ford WHQ.
Sure enough, when MOCSEM president Mike Rey noted this year’s homecoming already featured a Mercury Cougar reunion and anniversary gatherings for the 7-Up Fox Body Mustangs as well as the modern Ford GT, it was decided the 2025 homecoming would even be better if a “70 Years of the Thunderbird” gathering was added to the mix. And that’s how this summer’s “Birds, Cats & Ponies Homecoming” hosted by Ford Performance Club Connect and the Mustang Owners Club of SouthEastern Michigan came to be.
The homecoming event was held in the spacious back lot of the Gateway Classic Cars showroom in Dearborn, and welcomed all Thunderbirds, Cougars, Ford GTs and 7-Up Mustangs – plus any other sort of Mustang from across town or across the country. Even the Ford-Mercury Restorer’s Club got into the action and brought along some old classics to join in on the fun. Speaking of fun, this this special show-and-shine included live music by “Hot Wired,” a great food truck and a Gateway Classic Cars Showroom tour, as well as games (including a popular club-member Trike Race), plus prizes.
Perhaps what was even more special was the Mustang Heroes Autograph Session featuring retired Ford VP Ken Dabrowski and a dozen other past and present Ford execs, engineers, designers and marketers. In lieu of awards, the Ford celebrities awarded custom nameplate logo flags for their favorite T-Birds, Cougars and Mustangs. And if that wasn’t enough, none other than Henry Ford III himself stopped by for a visit, joining the autograph session and taking part in countless selfies with attendees. As you might expect, our roving photojournalist / correspondent, Ford retiree Bill Cook, attended the event with his trusty camera in hand, and sent us this note along with dozens of photos:
“On the Thursday before Woodward, I drove to Dearborn to check out the free "Birds, Cats and Ponies Homecoming" (get it?) organized by MOSCEM. In addition to the cool array of Ford power on display, a food truck was provided along with a live band kicking out period-correct tunes. There was a nice group of Thunderbirds, Cougars and Mustangs (as well as other Fords) to see outside, and even a broad selection of cars and trucks for sale inside of Gateway Classic Cars as well. It was a good time! Happy 70th birthday, Thunderbird!”
FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY BILL COOK
