FLAT ROCK, MI – If you’d ask any Mustang fan what’s the one place they’d most like to visit in the entire automotive world, the vast majority of them would say it’s Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant – the sole production home of the Mustang since 2005. Yes, thousands of people who visit Detroit each year have taken the Rouge Factory Tour to see new Ford F-150’s being built at the Dearborn Truck Plant. But there’s something totally different about the Mustang and Mustang owners, many of whom still ask if they can get into the factory on the day of assembly just to witness the birth of their new Mustang. Unfortunately, unlike the Dearborn Truck Plant, the Flat Rock Assembly Plant (FRAP) does not have a tour program that is open to the public. That’s why when FRAP announced that it would be hosting a Mustang and Ford car show in early August during its “Family Open House and 2024 Tour” at the sprawling complex just off Interstate 75 in Flat Rock, Michigan, the response was overwhelming.

To say that Ford and Mustang owners and fans packed the house would be a huge understatement. Once local clubs and owners found out they could join the car show open house and tour initially organized for Ford and factory employees and their families, it was game on! The thought of bringing your Mustang back home to its birthplace to not only display it but to also go inside and see where it was created was a huge draw form many who attended. The event featured both outdoor and indoor displays, with the indoor vehicle display starting in the main hall outside of the Body Center sporting all different years of Mustangs. This included Fox Bodies, SN95s, Terminator SVT Cobras, multiple years of Shelby GT500s, Heritage Edition GT350s and 500s – and yes, a new S650 along with one Dark Horse. We even spotted a very rare GT500KR along with one of the new Shelby SuperSnakes.

The event spilled out to the outside and across the entire employee parking lot, where you could not only see hundreds of Mustang and Ford show cars but also a live music setup, multiple food trucks, games and activity zones for kids and even an RC RTR Mach-E racing course for all ages to compete against each other. Ford brought along special VIP guests and even staged a fly-over from one of the Ford executive helicopters during the playing of our National Anthem! The parade of Ford vehicles just kept pulling into the factory grounds from every direction – and most of them were Mustangs.

For many, allowing guests inside the factory doors was a real treat, but the highlight was being able to join in on one of the groups touring the assembly line area where our iconic pony cars actually come together! From start to finish, lucky enthusiasts could walk up and down the aisles between the assembly line rows to see the newest Mustangs in their many different stages of production -- all the way up until the moment they are driven off the line under their own power for the first time to be sent off to a new Mustang owner soon after! We were able to witness much of the show action that day at FRAP, and hope you enjoy our photo gallery from the event below.

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY JOE DELADVITCH