Ford Motor Co. and The Mustang Club of America are celebrating the Mustang's 50th anniversary in 2014. To commemorate, MCA has its historic Mustang caravan from Norman, Okla. to either Las Vegas Motor Speedway or Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“The official Mustang 50th anniversary celebration will kick off in the middle of the country so people can enjoy these pony cars as they were intended to be used, on the road,” said Ronald D. Bramlett, executive director of the Mustang 50th birthday celebration. “We believe this will be the largest group of Mustangs traveling together in the world.”
The Las Vegas Pony Drive will stop in Amarillo, Texas, Albuquerque; N.M., and Flagstaff, Ariz. The Charlotte Pony Drive will be hosted in Little Rock, Ark., Nashville, Tenn., and Asheville, N.C.
Guests who would like to attend, but can't make it to Norman, can register at the Mustang Club of America and join the group during the route.
“Ford Mustang owners love to share their adventures,” said Steven Ling, North America car marketing manager for Ford. “The Pony Drives will give them the opportunity to impart their personal stories and create new ones with fellow enthusiasts. While traveling across half a continent, they'll form new, lifelong friendships and reconnect with past ones.”
The tentative schedule is:
-Sunday, April 13 – Pony Drive Migration Begins from Norman, Okla.
-Wednesday, April 16 – The first official day of the Mustang 50th Birthday Celebration will feature vendors and exhibits as members arrive
-Thursday, April 17 – MCA will conduct opening ceremonies followed by a host of activities and exhibits including track time, Ford's Ride-and-Drives and hot laps, car displays, vendors and historical displays celebrating Mustang's 50th
-Friday, April 18 – Activities continue, with a themed dinner
-Saturday, April 19 – The festivities will follow the same pattern as Friday; Saturday evening will feature the Saturday Night Banquet, with guest speakers
-Sunday, April 20 – Easter Sunrise Services will be held early morning at both tracks; parade laps around the speedways and closing ceremonies
The official registration is at mustang50thbirthdaycelebration.com. Check there for more details, or if you want to join. MCA hopes to have Mustang examples from each of the first 50 years.