DEARBORN, Mich. – The lead-up to the annual Woodward Dream Cruise is packed full of automotive activities for the more than 1-million car buffs who come to The Motor City each August for a week-long celebration of Detroit Iron and anything else with wheels. But if you thought that the party ends after the last cruiser turns off famed Woodward Avenue late on that Saturday night, you’d be sadly mistaken. That’s because the Mustang Owners Club of SouthEastern Michigan (MOCSEM) – one of the largest and most active Mustang clubs in the country -- hosts one of the largest all-Ford car shows in the Midwest on the Sunday immediately following the infamous Mustang Alley at the Woodward Dream Cruise. Better still, this massive pre-registered all-Ford show is held at none other than Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.This year’s Mustang Memories mega show seemed extra-special, celebrating 60 years of the Ford Mustang, 55 Years of the Mustang Boss 302 and 50 Years of the Mustang II, as well as a Mach 1 Reunion and an SN95 fourth-generation Mustang reunion. Every sort of Mustang and Ford was represented here, from Model T’s to even an old Ford fire truck (piloted to the show by an owner who just joined the club last year) – and just about every other sort of Blue Oval ride of every make and vintage in-between. With rain in the forecast it’s likely some owners decided to stay home which kept the total on-site car count to around 750, but even a brief early afternoon shower proved of little consequence to the many hundreds of attendees who were there to meet up with old friends and meet new ones while making fresh Mustang memories of their own.One big highlight was a that a total of 70 Mustang II’s were in attendance for what was the 9th annual National Mustang II Reunion, this one marking 50 years of second-gen Mustangs with rare Monroe Handlers, Emess Mustang II Convertibles, and even a rocket-powered Mustang II drag car. Like the record-setting first reunion at Ford WHQ nine years ago, MOCSEM even arranged to have a Farrah Fawcett lookalike on hand to properly celebrate having the second-largest number of Mustang II’s ever assembled at a single event -- just a baker’s dozen short of the mark set at Reunion I.The vibe at Mustang Memories is much more enthusiast-focused than the crush of crowds at Mustang Alley, making this absolutely one of the most memorable Ford shows you can attend, all while putting on the one final perfect hoorah to an extremely exciting week. Beyond all the cars and Mustang celebrities in attendance at Ford WHQ, MOCSEM’s annual show is known for its exclusive goody bags, big vendor’s midway, product raffles and 50/50, lots of judged and sponsor awards, plus a women’s row, kids activities, a DJ and a great selection of food trucks – and this year was no different.Next year marks the 50th anniversary of MOCSEM’s founding, so you can be sure club president Mike Rey, the club’s Board of Directors and its army of member-volunteers will be pulling out all the stops to make Mustang Memories 2025 their biggest and best show yet! In the meantime, check out our photo coverage from Mustang Memories 2024 below before visiting www.MOCSEM.com for info on what’s in store for next August.

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY JOE DELADVITCH