SAVANNAH, Ga. – We got to meet Joseph Randazzo at the Savannah Mustang Club’s annual show last year, and after only a few minutes of talking to him at the Ford Performance Meet & Greet display tent on the show field, we knew Joe was what is known as a “Mustang purist.” Like most Ford pony car fans, he loves the classic Mustangs and can easily explain all that makes them great. When Joe said he owns more than a half-dozen Mustangs of various years and a few other Fords, we told him if he’d send us some photos of them, we’d put him in our Ford Fan Spotlight. He did, so we did, and we happily share his note to us with you below:

“Hi, Ford Performance! This is Joseph Randazzo. It was a pleasure meeting you and talking with you in Savannah. As requested, here are some pictures of 6 of the 8 show cars I own, including 1967, 1972, 1993 LE, and 2000 Mustangs, plus a 2009 Shelby (convertibles all) and a 2005 T-Bird.

“If Ford wants to keep customers coming back, they better not change Mustang’s iconic signature features: A four-place Pony Car; 60-40 hood to trunk ratio; V-8 option; Floor shift option; Triple vertical tail lights; Pony badge vs. wearing the Ford Blue Oval; Gas-powered; Rear-wheel drive; Powered for handling/acceleration performance. Keep all the gas-saving, under-performing, front-wheel drive, cookie-cutter styled, SUV, hybrid or electric vehicles for some other name.  People the world over like the retro-styled Mustang pony car, period. The Mustang brings to mind American wild horses untamed by modern mayhem.  

“Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of my 1972 Mustang convertible. It is in my garage awaiting restoration. It was owned by the Winston Salem Racing Team, who had stored it for 20 years. I purchased it in 1992 and put it in my garage with its corroded fuel tank and all. It has only 52,000 miles on it and is all-original. Carpet and seats are dry and the original paint has a few door dings, but it is a solid car. I plan to replace the upholstery with original. Not sure about doing a repaint, but some chrome is badly dented and needs replacing. I’ve already purchased most of it but have not had time to install any of it yet.

“The neighborhood kids want to participate in the car’s restoration. Now that is how WE can inspire a new generation of Mustang lovers. One of the young kids drives the 2009 Shelby to shows for me. I converted him from being a Honda owner to a Mustang lover and a future Mustang owner, who is now saving up his money to buy his own Mustang.

“I once saw a pristine 1968 Mustang Fastback restored to original condition driving on a road in Odessa, Ukraine, back in 2008. Perhaps Ford should consider making new Mustangs that look more like these so that more cars like the classic Mustang can be seen on the road – they are that iconic. Hope we can meet again soon! Your friend in Ford, Joseph Randazzo.”

How YOU can Get In The Spotlight: For the past decade, one of the most popular features on FordPerformance.com and in our Fast News e-newsletter continues to be "Ford Fan Spotlight," where readers can send in their own reasons why they're fans of Ford Motor Company. You know who they are: Ford "superfans;" grassroots Ford racers; unique Ford vehicle owners; loyal Ford enthusiasts; notable Ford club people; special Ford families; and/or any avid supporter of Ford, Ford vehicles, Ford motorsports or Ford Performance who deserves a little bit of special recognition.

All you need to do to get you, your car or candidate considered is to send in a brief description (200-500 words or less) and a few photos (in .jpeg format, preferably 300 dpi) of a person (full name and hometown, please) and vehicle that you think Ford Performance should feature (and why) in the "Ford Fan Spotlight" for an upcoming installment of Fast News and posting on FordPerformance.com. Then email it to: ClubHub@Ford.com. Should you wish to send a video, you simply need to post it on www.YouTube.com (preferably 1-2 minutes long) and send in the link, along with a brief description, to that same ClubHub@Ford.com email address. We'll choose one submission each week. We hope to see YOU and your Ford in our Spotlight soon!