WOODHAVEN, Mich. – There are certain things in life that are bound to leave an impression on you. The new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is surely one of those things, with world-class performance and technology that more than lives up to its Shelby heritage. Another is Dr. Helaina D. Semmler, MD, an award-winning Philadelphia area Diagnostic Radiology / Nuclear Medicine Specialist who also happens to be an avid Mustang and Shelby collector and hobbyist.

Her own personal story of surviving brain surgery and recovering to take on Med School is truly one of inspiration, and one we’ll plan on sharing on our Mustang Owner’s Podcast. But beyond her impressive medical credentials and her equally impressive collection of more than two-dozen Mustangs and cool Fords, Helaina is known in the Mustang world as a fun-loving and engaging enthusiast whose personality is as colorful as her various tattoos and multi-hued hairdo’s.

A regular at many Mustang Club of America and Team Shelby national events, Helaina and husband Ron are always crisscrossing the country driving their Mustangs (and/or with some in tow) -- all in an effort to share great times with fellow Mustang friends and support the clubs and charities they come across in their many travels. Ron has taken on the task of managing the Semmler collector car fleet and handling all of the vehicle logistics.

As you might expect, when the all-new for 2020 Shelby GT500 debuted with 760 supercharged horses under the hood, Helaina just had to have one – searching multiple dealerships in attempt to “get on the list” -- or even multiple lists. After she finally landed a Twister Orange 2020 GT500 last year, it quickly became one of her personal favorite daily drivers. But when another lead on an Antimatter Blue 2021 GT500 came her way, she was so impressed with her own car that she decided to add that GT500 as an investment of sorts – plus as a “reward” for Ron for all of his hard work keeping her Mustang stable in order. So they flew from their home in New Jersey to metro Detroit to take VIP delivery from Mike Rey, president of the Mustang Owners Club of SouthEastern Michigan and the Performance Specialist on the sales team at Gorno Ford in Woodhaven, Michigan.

We decided to attend the delivery at the dealership and visit with Helaina and Ron before they hopped into their second new Shelby GT500 and drove it all the way back to the East Coast from suburban Detroit. We couldn’t help to be impressed by their ongoing love for the Mustang hobby and the people in it – as well as for each other, so we’re sharing photos of their special day picking up their new Shelby. Perhaps the lesson here is, if you’d like to impress your spouse by doing something to show you love them, simply buy them a new Shelby GT500 and you’re sure to see smiles for thousands of miles. For Ron, it was easy to see that this day – and this car -- was just what the doctor ordered!

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY JOHN M. CLOR