Mustang Mania Invades Springfield This Week; 2005 Ford Mustang Makes Area Debut

WHAT: Ford brings the summer's hottest new car -- the 2005 Ford Mustang -- to Springfield, IL for its debut appearance as part of its 40-city North American "Year of the Car" Tour, which also features the 2005 Ford Five Hundred and Ford Freestyle. All three cars are coming in for this weekend's Prairieland Roundup Grand National Mustang Show in Springfield, where more than 500 classic Mustangs are expected.

  WHEN:  Thursday, Sept. 2 and Friday, Sept. 3

  WHO/WHERE:

* Thursday, Sept 2 - 3 p.m. -- Louise Goeser, a vice president of Ford Motor Company, will participate in a unique photo opportunity with the '05 Mustang and a WW II-era P-51 Mustang fighter. Photo and interview opportunities available with Goeser and the 2005 Mustang at the Springfield's Capitol Airport, 1125 Capitol Airport Drive.

* Thursday, Sept. 2 - early evening -- Opportunity for media "sneak preview" coverage of the 2005 Mustang before it makes its public debut on Friday.

* Friday, Sept. 3 - 9 a.m. -- Goeser will do a formal drive-in with the 2005 Mustang to the Prairieland Roundup show grounds. More than 500 vintage Mustangs from the past 40 years are expected for the show, which will take place at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 3000 South Dirksen Parkway in Springfield. Interview and photo opportunities will be available of both current and classic Mustangs.

SUMMARY: Ford is celebrating Mustang's 40th anniversary with a back-to- the-future design of the 2005 model. It's one of 40 new products the company will launch this fall, designated by Ford as "The Year of the Car." The swaggering Pony car legend, the all-new flagship Five Hundred sedan, and the Freestyle that bridges the gap between SUVs and traditional passenger cars, demonstrate the range of these products.

Go to http://media.ford.com/ for news releases and high-resolution photographs.

PRNewswire -- Aug. 30