PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Kiwanis Classic Car Show will celebrate 50 years of the Ford Mustang on Saturday.
The Mustang — introduced April 17, 1964, at the Ford Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair, the star of several movies and the inspiration for such racy cars as the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird and AMC Javelin — will be highlighted in a special display at the show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Memorial Field, 550 Washington St.
Five generations of Mustangs will be illustrated with show-quality cars from the North Olympic Mustang Club of Sequim.
Hearing of the celebration of the all-time favorite set of wheels, owners of at least nine other Mustangs have registered for exhibition, said David Crozier, show chairman.
The Mustangs will be only a highlight of the annual classic car show, marking its 25th year this weekend, that shows off cars from 1979 and older and motorcycles.
Admission will be $5, with children younger than 13 and active military admitted free.
The fee for entering a vehicle, which can be done the day of the show, will be $20.
Last year, the show had more than 100 cars, “and that was a poor year,” Crozier said.
That year saw only about 25 preregistrations; this year, 56 have preregistered.
“We’re expecting a lot of cars,” Crozier said. “Most come on the day of the show, so it’s hard to predict.”
Five generations
Representing the five generations of Mustangs will be North Olympic Mustang Club member Ron Henderson’s 1965 Mustang II and four of club president Marv Fowler’s Mustangs, all in top condition.
“They’re almost perfect,” said Fowler, who founded the Mustang club in 1982.
Fowler will display a Cobra II as an example of second generation, a 1990 GT convertible — which won the gold in a Concourse judging in Bellevue in July — as one of the third generation and a fourth-generation 2000 Saleen Mustang, one of a limited production of 203 cars that won the gold in the same Bellevue contest in 2014.
He also will exhibit his 2008 Shelby GT 500 Super Snake, an example of the fifth generation. The color of the car built in Las Vegas is rare, silver and black.
“They call it vapor with ebony stripes,” Fowler said.
Fowler has one of each generation. His first-generation car is not finished yet, he said Wednesday.
“When I first got into Mustangs, my goal was to have one of every year,” Fowler said.
“I decided my pocketbook couldn’t afford that. So I choose to have one of each generation.”
He is eagerly anticipating the sixth generation of Mustangs in showrooms this fall.
Trophies
Exhibitors in Saturday’s show will vote on Best of Show as well as first- and second-place winners in 19 categories.
People’s Choice trophies will be awarded in the categories of favorite paint job, convertible and motorcycle, as well as friendliest owner(s), best specialty/novelty and overall people’s choice.
Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival royalty are expected to present the awards during a ceremony at 3 p.m.
O’Meara Dance Studio students will perform at 1:30 p.m.
Diamond sponsors of the show are Bernt Ericsen Excavation of Port Townsend and Port Townsend Paper Corp.
Benefits scholarships
Proceeds will go to the youth scholarship and community service programs of the Kiwanis Club of Port Townsend, which marks its 65th anniversary this year.
In addition to the classic cars and Mustangs, an antique bus is expected from Jefferson Transit, and the Kiwanis “choo-choo,” a road vehicle that looks like an old steam engine with a caboose, will be at the show.
Crozier broke down generations of Mustangs as from 1964 to 1973, ’74 to ’87, ’88 to ’93, ’94 to 2004 and 2005 to 2014.
Models of the car have starred in a variety of films.
Among them are “Gone in 60 Seconds,” a 1966 convertible; “I Am Legend,” a 2007 Shelby GT500; “Starman,” a 1977 Cobra II; “Diamonds Are Forever,” a 1971 Mach I; “Goldfinger,” 1964.5 Mustang fastback, 1964.5 Mustang convertible; and “Bullitt,” a 1968 GT390 fastback, Crozier said.
“There is more than one theory on where its name came from,” Crozier said.
“My preference is the one that claims it was named after the P-51 Mustang fighter.”
The 1965 Mustang was Ford’s most successful launch since its introduction of the Model A, Crozier said.
Expecting to sell 100,000 cars that first year, the company sold 418,812, setting a new record for first model year sales, he added.
“In ’65, you could have picked up one of these new for $2,368,” Crozier said.
“Today, these same cars can go for as much as $30,000 to $60,000 and up.”
For more information, visit www.port-townsend.kiwanisone.org.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
