Mustang Mania Invades San Antonio August 18

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 9, 2004 -- The all-new 2005 Mustang will debut on the streets of San Antonio on Wednesday, August 18 with chief designer Larry Erickson behind the wheel. To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the original Pony Car, more than 100 classic Mustangs are expected to join the 2005 model from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Jordan Ford, located at 13010 IH 35N.

Erickson has designed a number of award-winning hot rods, earning him a place in the National Hot Rod & Custom Car Museum's Hall of Fame. Erickson's designs range from a custom 1948 Cadillac for Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top-dubbed CadZZilla -- to his personal one-off custom Roadster. However, Erickson's most daunting task was redesigning the iconic Pony Car.

"The Mustang is a cultural icon," says Erickson. "With 40 years of history, and more than 8 million sold, everyone knows what a Mustang looks like. Our challenge was to incorporate design cues from past Mustang models into a modern, current design. The result has a visceral appeal, and is instantly recognizable as a Mustang."

In addition to the new Mustang, Erickson will also unveil the new Ford Five Hundred and the Ford Freestyle. They represent three of the 40 new vehicles Ford will launch globally in 2005, dubbed Ford's "Year of the Car."

NOTE TO EDITORS: To schedule an interview with Larry Erickson regarding the Ford Year of the Car Tour, the 2005 Mustang, or his hot rod designs, please contact Monte Doran. Go to http://media.ford.com for news releases and high-resolution photographs.