YPSILANTI, Mich. – While the big Mustang and Ford car shows grab most of the media attention each summer, the fact is that the majority of Blue Oval enthusiasts spend much of their time and attention at their local car shows and cruise-ins. Many of these are sponsored by local Mustang or Ford clubs https://www.fordperformanceclubconnect.com and/or by their local Ford dealers. These kinds of events are the bread-and-butter of the hobby.

To give you an idea of what you can expect to see at such grassroots auto gatherings, look no further than the yearly car show held at Gene Butman Ford in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This year marked the sixth year that the suburban Detroit Ford dealership put together an event for regional car buffs. Like many shows of this ilk, it featured several classes (PreWar-1959, 1960's, 1970's, 1980-1999, 2000-Present, Tuner, and Custom), and all makes and models were welcome to register. So on Saturday, August 14^th, the 6th Annual Gene Butman Ford Heritage Car Show brought out the motoring faithful, and featured food trucks, free beverages, a table raffle, goodie bags for all car-show entries, plus trophies and prizes for the winners of each class, including $500 for Best in Show! A fan favorite was also having live music instead of a DJ, with “The Detroit Drive” playing a collection of popular hits, classic rock and modern county.

Judging started 11 a.m. sharp, and winners were announced at 2:30 p.m. We had Ford collector, superfan and shutterbug Mark Storm in attendance, who served as out Ford Performance correspondent for the show. Mark offered up some of his favorite photos to share with you in our gallery below:

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY MARK STORM