DEARBORN, MI – Again this year, thousands of Mustang owners, club members and fans from across the country – and the world, for that matter -- participated in some sort of car show, cruise or driving event to commemorate the anniversary date of the public introduction of Ford’s famed pony car back on April 17, 1964. With that date falling on a Thursday for 2025, most such events were conducted on the weekends before and after – but either way, ever since the Mustang turned 50 the idea of owners and fans getting out on (or the weekend nearest) April 17th to celebrate National Mustang Day has grown into a global phenomenon.
As you might expect, with the Mustang Owners Club of SouthEastern Michigan (MOCSEM) https://www.mocsem.com being one of the largest and most active Mustang clubs in North America, a MOCSEM National Mustang Day event has become a yearly happening. Yes, that’s partly because MOCSEM is centered around Ford Motor Company’s own backyard and all across metro Detroit. But with the club celebrating its own 50th anniversary during 2025, MOCSEM president Mike Rey wanted to do something special this time around – even though the past several National Mustang Day events the club had hosted were quite notable in their own right.
The weather forecast looked iffy for MOCSEM’s planned 2025 National Mustang Day celebration on Saturday, April 19, at Gateway Classic Cars in Dearborn, with cloudy skies, an on-and-off light rain and temperatures barely into the 60’s. But this was a rain-or-shine event . . . and besides, the club’s annual Mustang birthday party offers one of the first chances of the year to bring Mustangs out to play. There were two food trucks, a big merch sale, 50-50 raffle and even some live Motown entertainment on the schedule, so it was “game-on” despite the persistent drizzle outside. Attendees got a commemorative National Mustang Day window cling and a Mustang Tri-Bar logo hat pin for their $5 entry fee into the Gateway back lot surrounding the club entrance. By noontime, some 200 Mustangs had gathered for the event – certainly a far cry from last year’s 400-car turnout but nonetheless quite good for a mostly cloudy and wet day.
There were plenty of sweet Mustangs on display – including one of every color offered for the new 60th Anniversary Edition Mustang GT (yes, even the rare Brittany Blue) as well as a new Dark Horse – not to mention a mix of just about everything else – from Shelby GT500s to Mach 1s to First-Gens and plenty of both classic and modded rides. Whether time was spent wiping down or just checking out the cars, chatting with owners, ordering-up some fresh street tacos or a custom stone-fired pizza, or simply hanging out inside the clubroom area, you could feel that everyone was happy to share a few hours together with their Mustangs after a long winter slumber.
With the sprinkles coming and going outside, Gateway Classic Cars Showroom Manager Linda Bastow let the live “Motown Revue” – soulfully performed by Dorothy Martin and Rob Carter of Dorae Starr Entertainment – set up inside to the delight of the participants singing along to so many of the classic hits. We spotted Ford’s Mustang Brand Manager Joe Bellino there, as well as Bud Magaldi, design chief for the fourth-generation SN95 1994 Mustang, and Ford designer Ara Ekizian, who worked on the second-gen Cobra II’s along with many other Fords. Other notable attendees included club founder James Egyed and MOCSEM Youth Ambassador and YouTube creator Quinntyn Gothard.
If the energy behind this National Mustang Day kickoff gathering is any indication, then we can’t wait until MOCSEM hosts its signature event, the “Mustang Memories and All Ford Show,” on the Sunday after the Woodward Dream Cruise this Augst 17 at Ford World Headquarters. With Mustang turning 61, the Ford Thunderbird turning 70 and the Mustang Owners Club of SouthEastern Michigan turning 50, there’s going to be lots to celebrate!
FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / JOHN M. CLOR
