It all started in Columbus, Ohio, in the mid '70s when the Performance Ford Club of America held its Ford Expo show on Labor Day weekend. Originally, the show was held at Ricart Ford, with drag racing just down I-70 at National Trail Raceway. Later, everything moved to National Trail for the newly named U.S. Ford Nationals. Today, the NMRA has joined forces with the track to produce the Nitto Tire Ford Expo. As in years past, it's two days of action with drag racing on the National Trail quarter-mile, an all-Ford car show, and a 10-acre swap meet.
The NMRA's involvement with the show began in 2005, and with it came sponsorship from Laurel Mountain Mustang. This year's Laurel Mountain All-Ford Auto Show & Shine attracted many of the best Mustangs from Ohio's traditional hotbed of hot Ford cars. Hosted by the Stangbangerz car club of Cincinnati, the show featured everything Ford, including the usual assortment of vintage Mustang musclecars and restomods.
Editor's Choice
Steve Mattless transported his '69 Shelby GT500 all the way from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, to enter it in the Laurel Mountain Mustang All-Ford Auto Show & Shine car show at Columbus. With its immaculate detailing and down-to-the-smog-equipment originality, the Acapulco Blue Shelby was an easy choice for the Mustang Monthly Editor's Choice award.
Steve purchased the Shelby three years ago from Kelly's Musclecars in Follett, Texas. "It was one of Kelly Schulz's personal cars," he says. "It had already been restored by Kenny Bramlett using a lot of N.O.S. components."
Steve says he primarily uses the GT500 for shows, including Mustang Club of America national shows in the U.S where the car always takes a Gold award. "I'm looking forward to the MCA National Show in Canada next year," Steve says. "It will be nice to drive 1 hour instead of 17."