Walking through the doors at the COBO Center for the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS January 11-24, 2016), by the time I reached the top of the stairs I could see the first grouping of eye candy. I was half way down the hall when I froze in my tracks. I was completely memorized. There she was… a 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350. The 5R002 was immaculately restored to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang. She captured Best in Class Honors at the Amelia Island Concours D-Elegance in 2014.
Ever since I was a little girl I dreamt of one day owning one of these beauties. The first car I fell in love with was the 1966 Mustang, probably because I wanted one in Candy Apple Red and that colour wasn’t available in 1965… They are very similar but did you know the three easiest ways to tell the difference between the 1965 and the 1966 Ford Mustang? They are; the grill, the back and the side scoops.
Over the past couple decades I put my dream on hold. I got married, had kids, bought the mini-van and became a mom-taxi to the beasts.
Then my mother did something I thought she would never do… To celebrate her 73rd birthday she bought herself a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0L V8 in Deep Impact Blue. It was the only one in Canada. Her brother has a 2008 Shelby GT500 and she liked the paint job so much she had hers customized with a silver-white stripe.
This past December I flew out to BC to spend Christmas with my family. The first thing I did… take her ‘Stang out for a spin! Could you blame me?!
While we were at a stop light and my mom was behind the wheel, I asked her why she would buy this vehicle over any other vehicle, and trust me when I say, she could’ve purchased ANYTHING she wanted, she said one word…. “Listen” then she giggled, “Listen to the Sound it makes.” There’s a whole lot of power under that hood! I’m sure one day she’ll open it up while on the freeway…
Back to NAIAS and Ford news for 2016.
This year they announced they’ve partnered with LEGO to bring fans two models in the spring; the F-150 Raptor and the Ford Mustang. I know which one I’m getting my mom for Mother’s Day…
The 185 piece Mustang set is expected to retail for $14.99USD while the F-150 Raptor kit will sell for $49.99USD. They will go on sale in LEGO and Toy ‘R US stores in the US on March 1st.
No one outgrows LEGO!
My love for the iconic Mustang continues to grow. I must admit, Ford really impressed me this year. In the last week and a half, I’ve learned about their new technology, continued use of sustainable fabrics, environment and safety engineering, and autonomous vehicles. Did you know that the Ford Focus and the Ford Escape are made with more than 80% recylables? And I learned all about the new Ford and Corning© Gorilla© Glass© hybrid technology which will debut in the Ford GT, contributing to enhanced vehicle handling, improved fuel efficiency and reduced risk of glass damage.
Thanks to Ford Canada for bringing me down to Detroit and showing off in the Blue Oval.
One more picture/video of my mom’s car before I go…
In the clip below as she tells you one of the many things she loves about her new Mustang…
Disclaimer: Ford Canada supplied me with a trip to NAIAS in Detroit but none of those things played into what I had to say about Ford or my experience as a whole. Ever since my mom came home with this beauty… I can’t help but want to learn more about Ford as a brand.
