Over the years, we've been to many big Mustang shows where a club has pulled some strings, called in a favor, or just outright paid someone to have a P-51 Mustang airplane there. The Mustang Club of America has done it, and we've heard of other shows where there have been fly-overs of the famed P-51, but to our knowledge, the Mustangs & Mustangs, Legends Havin' Fun show is one of the few-if not the only Mustang and Ford-powered show-to be held at an aviation attraction or museum, in this case Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.
Kermit has an unbelievable collection of aircraft, including Major George Preddy's P-51D Mustang and a P-51C. The P-51C is painted in the famed Tuskegee Airmen color scheme of Lt. Col Lee Archer, and is one of only four "C"s left in the world. You'll also find other famous aircraft, including a B-17 Flying Fortress, a B-24 Liberator, a Ford Tri-Motor, an AT-6, a Wildcat, a Zero, a Spitfire, a Corsair, and much more. Fantasy of Flight is a great location for a car show, even if you're not a history buff or fan of aviation.
The Imperial Mustangs of Polk County is the show's host, and does an admirable job of producing this show (now in it's ninth year), including an MCA National three-day event last year. The one-day show is usually held close to the Experimental Aircraft Association's Sun-N-Fun fly-in in nearby Lakeland, Florida, to allow privately owned P-51s (and replica planes) to fly into the Mustangs & Mustangs show and add to the excitement with low altitude fly-overs, barrel rolls, stunts, and so on.
It's a popular-vote-style show, and people come from all around (and often from out of state) to enjoy the laid-back style without the strain of serious judging. The quality of cars is always high, and we're amazed at the amount of Ford-powered cars we always see at this show. This year, we spotted two Panteras, a gaggle of Falcons, some killer classic F-series, a beautiful classic T-bird, a '40s Lincoln, and numerous Mustangs.
As we walked among the 300-plus cars in attendance, it was difficult to pick favorites, but we wanted to share some of our finds with our readers. Our hats are off to the people at Fantasy of Flight and the Imperial Mustangs of Polk County for putting on such a great show. Hope to see you there next year.
 Didler Benichou of Riverview,...  Didler Benichou of Riverview, Florida, shared this sharp-looking '68 coupe with the crowd. The Shelby 10-spoke wheels are a nice touch, as are the over-body stripes. The build book on the driver's fender detailed the complete project for those interested. |  We spotted this '67 GTA coupe...  We spotted this '67 GTA coupe (the tailpanel appliqu is always a nice option, we think) and zoomed in for a closer look. Ken Badgley of Brooksville, Florida, nicely modified his GTA with a Shelby scooped hood, a rear spoiler (GT/CS style), and Magnum 500s... |  ...Underhood, the big-block...  ...Underhood, the big-block sports a Cobra oval air-cleaner housing, a Mallory distributor, and other goodies. |