Mustang Owner's Podcast

If you’ve had any experience in the Mustang club world and have been following the collector car hobby of late, then you’ve likely already heard that traditional, dues-paying Mustang clubs have been suffering substantial losses in membership over the past decade. Some say it’s just natural attrition based on an aging club member population, while others think it’s due to an irreversible downward spiral in the number of young people who are interested in cars. As the hobby is seeing a shift toward social-media based clubs and Cars & Coffee events, is this just a temporary trend or is it indicating a tragic end to the Mustang club universe? We ask two experienced former presidents of large, established Midwest clubs – Mark Bedel of the Greater Pittsburgh Mustang Club and our own co-host, Mike Rey of the Mustang Owner’s Club of SouthEastern Michigan – for some real-world insight on the future facing Mustang clus and young people inthe hobby. Listen right to the end to hear their surprising predictions!

When Ford put out the word that it was planning a huge open-to-the-public gala for thegrand opening of the all-new Ford World Headquarters on the Ford engineering campusin Dearborn last November, Blue Oval fans were excited. While some seemed moreconcerned about the impending demolition of The Glass House, others were interestedin bringing their collectible Fords to a hastily assembled “Community Car Show” on thesite. While John toured the show lot on that brisk and blustery day and talked to owners,Mike got to go inside and check out the futuristic state-of-the-art facility. Both share theirexperiences and photos from the event in this episode – with some celebrity surprisesincluded!

Ford insiders know Mike Berardi from his years serving as the Director of Ford’s Field Service Engineering operations. But enthusiasts from across the Midwest may know him more from his personal collection of 70-plus Mustangs (along with some interesting Fords). Thanks to the work of former FordPerformance.com photographer Joe Deladvitch, John and Mike take you on a picture tour of Berardi’s cars, with some cool backstories adding to the eclectic mix. Find out about Mike & Sue Berardi’s involvement with Good Humor Ice Cream, distributed at select events via their fleet of restored classic Ford Good Humor trucks – it’ll make you instantly understand why Berardi is a well-respected and beloved enthusiast collector who just recently took the helm of MOCSEM, replacing Mike Rey as president of Detroit’s mega-Mustang club.

In this latest Mustang Mailbag episode, John and Mike respond to an email filled with a whole host of suggestions – including the perceived need for the creation of a web-based “Mustang Resource Center.” Then they combined several inquiries into one response to answer what happened to the annual Midwest Club Summit that John and Mike had hosted for the past decade. Should it be resurrected as a live seminar at the Carlisle Ford Nationals? Finally, a podcast viewer from the Thunderbird club world offers his ideas on how to best interact with young enthusiasts. Lots of great info and insight here, and make sure to listen to the very end to get word on Thunderbird Appreciation Day 2026!

It keeps on happening, so we decided to put a stop to it – the myth that the Ford Mustang was named after the WWII fighter plane just won’t go away. After a podcast subscriber spotted a big-name website pushing the falsehood, we knew we had to get Smart! No, not get wiser, but to get noted Mustang author, historian and expert Jim Smart to come on the podcast and reveal what Lee Iacocca and others had told him about the Mustang being named after a horse, John and Mike share their own insider info – from the likes of Gale Halderman and Hal Sperlich – to finally shoot down this Mustang myth once and for all.

If you think the traditional Mustang club world is only for old-timers and retirees -- it’s time you think again. Turns out the Greater Pittsburgh Mustang Club (GPMC) just got a new president – Jacob Werner -- and he’s just 33 years old! We sit down with Jacob to find out how he and his Mustang landed in the leadership position with the GPMC (along with other Thirtysomethings on the Board), what he plans to take the club into the future, and then discover that our paths had actually crossed years ago!

We met up with Eric Richards when John was booked as the Guest Speaker for the Show-Me Mustang Club’s 40th Anniversary banquet just outside of St. Louis in January. John remembered Eric as being a huge Dave Pericak fan after he and fellow club members had previously attended Mike Rey’s Mustang Homecoming event in Dearborn, but we’ve since found out that Eric has an even deeper dedication to the Mustang hobby.

Whenever someone is known as “The Crazy Mustang Man,” you know there’s a story to tell. So Mike and John tracked down Lyle Sturgis, the famed SVT / Roush / RTR Performance Manager at Tindol Ford in Gastonia, NC for an explanation on just how he earned that name. Since Mike Rey had worked at Roush a while back, you can be sure that he and Lyle will have some insider “remember when?” stuff to share with all of us!

In this episode John and Mike talk to Tony and Jeni Lucas about their purchase of a 2024 Dark Horse Mustang and their experience of attending Ford’s 2-Day Dark Horse Track Attack Program together. But wait – there’s more: While coming home from Charlotte, we find out that Jeni was so enamored with her newfound appreciation for the Dark Horse that she told Tony she’s keeping their Dark Horse for herself and that Tony would get something else to drive for himself. So what does Tony do? Why, he goes out and buys a 2025 Dark Horse, of course! Listen in to find out how attending the Track Attack was a game-changer for them and what they plan to do with TWO Mustang Dark Horses in the family.

For this special episode, John uses his Cars In Context Media Credential to attend the Press Preview Day of the annual Detroit Auto Show and give you an insider's look at the 2026 Mustang footprint there. After covering the show since 1988 when he was with AutoWeek magazine, John found this year's low-key Ford display to be so Bronco-centric that the iconic Mustang seemed like an afterthought. Check out his photos and hear his views on how much this once-dazzling automotive spectacle has now taken on trade-show vibe.

John and Mike have received so many emails about how we can keep growing the Mustang Owner’s Podcast that we think it’s time to make some format enhancements. In this episode, John asks YOU to tell us what “Mods” you’d like to see by putting them in the Comments section. Want us to include things like Mustang and Ford News, History, Tech, Trivia – even add a “My Mustang Story” feature where you can show off your ride? Put it In the Comments or email John at [email protected] and we’ll make the best suggestions happen.

After a fun-filled podcast interview with Henry Ford III, Mike and John catch up with his father, none other than Edsel Ford II himself – the patriarch of Ford Racing. Edsel shares some favorite memories of Ford’s racing victories at LeMans and the Mustang’s product legacy. Plus, he offers his views on the role that enthusiast clubs play in building brand loyalty.

We get letters (OK, technically they’re emails), so when the inbox gets interesting, we read ‘em and weep. Well, at least for one listener who bemoans the lack of Mustang dealer brochures and posters. Another thinks John talks too much – and Mike not enough. Yet another wants to see Ford’s next 4-door sports car called a Falcon. All that and more in this Mailbag!

Mike and John stop in to Perkins Restorations in Juneau, Wisconsin, where the longtime authority on Mustang authenticity, Bob Perkins, offers up real-world stories and close-up looks behind his incredible collection of miniscule-mile, first-generation Mustangs and memorabilia.

Mustangs -- and Ford’s Michigan Central Resto-- Shine for Detroit’s ‘Cars At The Station’ ShowMike and John knew they’d see plenty of Mustangs and collectible Fords during the two-day “Cars At The Station” Show put together by Hagerty and RADwood Detroit. But what they didn’t expect was how cool Ford’s recently restored Michigan Central Station (The Motor City’s iconic, century-old train depot) and the adjacent Roosevelt Park was for a show venue.

What does a T-Bird 70th anniversary, a Mercury Cougar reunion and a Mustang club cruise-in have in common? They all partied at the ‘Birds, Cats & Ponies’ Dearborn Homecoming, as did more than dozen notable Ford designers, engineers and execs – including Henry Ford III.

Mike and John walk you through the photo highlights of Mike’s annual MOCSEM mega-event, the Mustang Owners Club of SouthEastern Michigan’s “Mustang Memories & All Ford Show." Seen via the lens of photog Joe Deladvitch, it was the last-ever show at this iconic Ford WHQ.

After John had walked Ford’s Mustang Alley for MustangOwner’s Podcast interviews in 2024, Mike asked photog Joe Deladvitch to give us a photo tour of Mustang Alley 2025 to catch some of the hidden gems that you’ll always uncover there during Detroit’s Woodward Dream Cruise.

Tom Welch, Communications Director for the Mustang Club of Mid Michigan joins John and Mike to discuss what the club recommends you do to your Mustang when you put it away for the winter.

Started by retired Ford engineer Dave Glickman, John and Mike take you on a tour of this summer’s Ford employee Research and Innovation Center car show at the Ford World Headquarters campus in Dearborn.

John and Mike tour the show field behind the Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells complex to bring you the owner stories behind some of the star cars they found at the 2025 Fall Ford Fest.

John and Mike sit down with John’s longtime careermentor, Jim Sawyer, who reveals how the Ford Special Vehicle Team became a sales success despite having no advertising budget.

Mike and John join a tour of the Ringbrothers shopin Spring Green, Wisconsin, where they catch a look at their new SEMA Mustang build and custom billet parts operation before cornering Mike Ring for an exclusive interview while he was working on a protype hood.

The dynamic duo of Mustang history and culture answer questions from the audience at Fall Ford Fest 2025. Congratulations to Dan Neve and the team for 15 years of fighting cancer with the support of the Mustang enthusiast community.

Stewart tells us about the formation of the registry and why is his last name so familiar?

When Ford launched the Mustang in 1964, Henry Ford II commissioned a few custom Mustangs to be built for some very special people. Perry Los Kamp tells us of the two he acquired.

Exclusive - Ford Collectors Edition Unboxing

Hint: Industry & Mustang Hobby Guru)

Hint: Ford Enthusiast Connections Creator

Chris Cervenka is the founder of Modified Muscle, a website marketplace dedicated to the Mustang enthusiast. Chris tells John and Mike all about the concept and future endeavors.

Art Cairo is a longtime Ford collector who bought a 1964½ Mustang for $500 believing it was just a unique early model. It turned out to be an extraordinarily rare prototype originally created for Henry Ford II.

John and Mike give us a photo tour of this year's Bay Harbor Classic Car & Boat Show in Bay Harbor, MI.

The Foxbody community continues to gain momentum. John and Mike take us on a tour of this year's event at FWH.

An insider look at the Hal Sperlich Memorial Service

Ken Dabrowski is a longtime executive and engineering leader at Ford Motor Company, known for his influential role in powertrain development and performance engineering. Throughout his career, he played a key part in advancing Ford’s high-performance vehicle programs and was deeply involved in the resurgence of Ford’s motorsports efforts. With a deep technical background and passion for racing heritage, Dabrowski helped bridge Ford’s performance legacy with modern engineering innovation, earning respect across both the corporate and enthusiast communities.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of MOCSEM. Mike gives us a sneek peek into their signature event "Mustang Memories" held the day after the Woodward Dream Cruise on Sunday, August 17th.

It's at the end of the show when the best car deals are made. Join John and Mike as they explore the Car Corral and see some of the beauties waiting for a new owner to drive them home.

Through the lens of Ford Photographer Joe Deladvitch, John and Mike take a tour around the Carlisle Ford Nationals 2025.

John is joined by guest host Jeff Black as they talk about Gale Halderman and the Mustang museum he created in Tipp City Ohio.

Are manufacturers going to share one engine platform to save on costs??

You never know what John and Mike will talk about next. If you have a question you would like the guys to talk about, send your questions to:[email protected]

We're very thankful for everyone who came out to support John and Mike for their first live town hall podcast.

When Ford opened the Heritage vault you know John and Mike were in attendence. Join us as we give a tour of the vault along with a simultaneous Cars & Coffee meet at Ford World Headquarters.

Steve Hall, founder of the Mustang Owner's Museum, created National Mustang Day as a celebration of the Ford Mustang's debut on April 17, 1964, which is considered the "birthday" of the iconic car. John and Mike take us on a video tour through some of the larger gatherings held for this year's NMD celebration.

Cristy Lee is a dynamic television host and automotive expert who has successfully transitioned her mechanical skills into the realm of home renovation. She gained prominence through her work on MotorTrend's "All Girls Garage" and "Garage Squad," where she showcased her expertise in fixing cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Beyond television, she owns and operates MotorCity Built, a design firm in Michigan that merges her passions for automotive work, real estate, and home renovation . Cristy's multifaceted career continues to inspire, as she breaks stereotypes and empowers women in both the automotive and home improvement industries

Ponies in the Smokies is an annual car show and gathering that celebrates Ford Mustangs and their enthusiasts, held in the scenic Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. The multi-day event features a wide range of activities, including a large indoor car show, cruise-ins, drag racing, and scenic drives through the mountains. Mustang owners and fans from across the country attend to showcase their vehicles, connect with other enthusiasts, and enjoy the vibrant Mustang culture.

What do you get when you combine a 2017 GT350 with a 1982 Foxbody? You get VooDoo 82! Terry tells us all about the build and why.

The Ford Performance Racing School is a premier driver training program designed to provide enthusiasts and performance vehicle owners with an immersive, high-adrenaline experience behind the wheel of Ford’s high-performance cars. The school offers a range of programs tailored to different skill levels—from beginner to seasoned racer. Participants receive professional instruction from experienced racers, combining classroom sessions with extensive on-track driving to develop advanced car control, cornering, and braking techniques.

Lee Holman, son of co-founder John Holman, grew up immersed in the world of high-performance engineering, eventually leading the company through its evolution beyond NASCAR into custom builds and historic racing. His leadership helped preserve and expand the Holman-Moody legacy, bridging its rich past with today's automotive culture.

Duane Carling is a renowned expert on Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) systems for classic Mustangs, particularly known for his deep knowledge and hands-on experience with retrofitting IRS into vintage Ford models. With a background in engineering and a passion for performance driving, Carling has become a go-to authority in the Mustang restoration and modification community. His work combines technical precision with a respect for the original design, offering enthusiasts a way to significantly improve handling and ride quality without compromising the classic character of the vehicle.