Surely you didn't miss Mustangs At The Beach - Did You?
If you made the grueling journey (New York traffic) to Sands Point Reserve out on Long Island just outside of New York City to attend the Mustangs At The Beach MCA National, hosted by the Mustang & Shelby Club of Long Island, you know it was worth the trip. There were more than 300 Mustangs in attendance not to mention more than 5,000 people who loved the same thing you did. Best of all, you were in the company of New Yorkers, who offer great entertainment because these folks know how to show visitors a good time.
What made Mustangs At The Beach extraordinary (besides the obvious) was location - legendary Hempstead House - and a tremendous view of Long Island Sound, Manhasset Bay, and Hempstead Harbor. A little slice of heaven where life isn't often easy. When we arrived, thunder threatened and followed through on its promise with heavy rain, small hail, and some pretty close lightning to keep everyone on their toes. I faced the storm with courage and promptly took cover in my rental car. Saturday yielded sunshine and its share of humidity, but that didn't slow anyone down. Mustang show goers took it all in stride wiping off sweat and getting down to the business of prepping their Mustangs for show.
Our man, Jerry Heasley, was on hand to feed egos, shoot cars, and chat with the crowd like he has been doing for the better part of four decades. Jerry keeps us all on our toes, especially those of us at Mustang Monthly. Our readers are always happy to meet Jerry and chat about a mutually passionate subject.
Of particular interest to us were folks we hadn't seen in years we've known a lifetime. Fred and Sue Glazier of Glazier's Mustang Barn fame showed up with their purchased new Rangoon Red '64 1/2 hardtop. Felt so good to shake their hands and catch up after all these years. The Glaziers are extraordinary people who have been serving enthusiasts for more than 30 years. They were the first people I ever purchased Mustang parts from way back in 1979 and have been fiercely loyal friends ever since.
Ford Motor Company turned out for Mustangs At The Beach with the exciting "who'd have thunk it?" '12 Boss 302 - again the unexpected from Ford. Ford also rolled out the all-new, completely redesigned 2011 Explorer, something we would have gladly driven home.
Our greatest frustration at this show was the element of time - not enough of it - and the abundance of world class restorations in attendance there was no time to shoot for our readers. There were plenty of terrific restomods out there. However, the greatest shiners were concours-restored classics, including Fox bodies, and low mileage originals along with original owners indicating the Northeast is a treasure trove of outstanding examples from 47 years of Mustang production from what is now a total of four Mustang assembly plants.
As we walked the show, it was impossible not to reflect on the Mustang Club of America's rich past. I thought about the late Jim Osborn, who really was the rocket fuel that got the MCA off the ground to begin with. There are certainly others too numerous to mention here who have been instrumental in the MCA's growth both then and through the years. The most significant turn of events in the Osborn years was the Mustang's 30th Anniversary Celebration at Charlotte in 1994. It remains the only Mustang event in history to have the President of the United States in attendance - Bill Clinton - along with his '67 convertible flown in from Arkansas on a USAF C-141 jet transport. Had it not been for Osborn's efforts, it would never have happened and there might not be an MCA today. We will forever be indebted to Jim for his commitment to the Mustang and Mustang Club of America members.
It was certainly New Yorkers who made this gala event so successful. We want to thank the Mustang & Shelby Club of Long Island, in particular Rich Carlson, for the invitation and for showing us such a great time. Count on us returning to the northeast in the years to come. Expect to see us in Waldorf, Maryland for the MCA Grand National on Labor Day Weekend.