Ford calls on Mustang owners to welcome the next version of the Pony Car. What you can do
A few lucky Ford Mustang owners — and their beloved cars — will get to participate in the unveiling of the seventh generation of the original Pony Car as part of the Detroit Auto Show on Sept. 14, the automaker announced Friday.
Mustang owners can register now for the Mustang Stampede, a parade from Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn to Hart Plaza on Detroit’s riverfront Sept. 14 by reserving a spot online. Ford hasn’t said how many cars and owners it can accommodate, so sign up early.
The reveal at Hart Plaza, a riverfront amphitheater that’s part of the auto show’s new indoor-outdoor footprint, will be the last vehicle debut of the show’s press day. The show opens to the public with a charity preview Sept. 16 that will stretch from Hart Plaza to the nearby Huntington Place convention center.
A new Mustang and a new auto show
“When we conceived the idea of an indoor-outdoor Detroit Auto Show, The Stampede was the kind of event we hoped and believed was possible,” said Rod Alberts, Detroit Auto Show executive director. “We are proud to support Ford with what will be an absolutely iconic milestone, celebrating the heritage and future of the Mustang, as well as the global mobility industry, right here in Detroit.”
The all-new Mustang is expected to go into production in the first half of 2023 as a 2024 model. Expect significant upgrades to its gasoline powerplants, but all-electric versions of the iconic coupe and convertible are still some distance off. Ford already builds the electric Mustang Mach-E, a sporty SUV that shares key styling elements with the Pony Car.
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Driving Mustangs cross-country
Mustang Stampede’s 11-mile drive from Ford World HQ to Hart Plaza will complement a 2,300-mile drive that six other Mustangs will make from Lemay — America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, to Detroit. That caravan, comprising one car from each previous Mustang generation, is the latest installment of the Drive Home, a tradition in which classic cars go cross-country, arriving in Detroit in time for auto show’s opening.
“We are honored to partner with Ford for The Stampede, rallying Mustang enthusiasts across America to promote the reveal of the all-new Mustang,” said David Madeira, vice chairman of America’s Automotive Trust. “Our annual, cross-country road trip, The Drive Home, is a partnership with the Detroit Auto Show created specifically to celebrate America’s love affair with the automobile. And The Stampede, celebrating the iconic Mustang, epitomizes what The Drive Home to Detroit is all about.”
The number of cars that can participate in The Stampede is contingent on how much parking Ford and the city of Detroit can arrange.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mustang owners will help unveil the next model at Detroit Auto Show
