It may seem hard to believe, but the 49th birthday of the Ford Mustang just passed this week, specifically April 17th. As if that wasn’t special enough, another milestone was accomplished at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan -- the one-millionth Mustang rolled off of the assembly line at the automaker’s state-of-the-art Auto Alliance International plant.

Every year, automotive enthusiasts, technicians, builders, journalists, and more drop by Sin City for the annual SEMA Show to see all of the latest parts, broker deals, and check out the cool customized rides that are displayed in various booths to attract attention to a new product or the company in general. This year saw a number of vintage Ford muscle on display from a vehicle standpoint, and as you'll see in this story, there are a number of very cool products coming to market for the classic Mustang and Ford enthusiast.

It's probably safe to say that if you've heard of the SEMA Show, then you're likely aware of the fact that the yearly gathering of gearheads in Las Vegas draws in as many cool cars as it does cool parts. Journalists, such as your author, venture to the annual show to get the skinny on the new products, and also see some of them utilized in the show cars that are there to get your attention as much as they are there to display the product.

January 7-8, Silver Springs, FL

• 18th annual Ford and Mustang Roundup at Silver Springs, hosted by National Parts Depot and co-sponsored by Mustang Monthly and Modified Mustangs & Fords magazines.
• Free registration to first 1,000 pre-registered cars by January 1, which includes two passes to Silver Springs. People's Choice judging, Pony Trails cruise from NPD headquarters to Cedar Key on Friday, January 6.
• Info: Derek Putnam, 352/861-8701 (ext. 4207), dputnam@npdlink.com.

Oh to be 50 years old and look like you did when you were in your prime! Such was the case over April 20-21, 2012 at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California, where an assemblage of Cobras and pertinent celebrities heralded the 50th anniversary of Carroll Shelby's Anglo-American giant killer. Of course, only the cars looked to be ageless, and yet the original Shelby American drivers and other personalities who showed up are clearly kept young in spirit by continued involvement with the cars of the Total Performance era. Needless to say, it was an event to remember.

When the U.S. Congress passed a resolution citing July 13 at National Collector Car Appreciation Day, the powers that be a parent company Source Interlink Media decided to host an open house at all three of its editorial locations—Tampa, Florida, Irvine, California, and Los Angeles—to celebrate.

The eastern racing circuit of Nevers Magny-Cours, located just 160 miles from Paris, France, has been the home to Formula 1's French Grand Prix, among many other top-level racing events. It has also played host to a number of car show events, including Classic Days. 2011 marked the fourth annual Classic Days celebration, which brings in more than 1,000 cars of all types from pre-war Bugattis to brand-new grand touring coupes. The event also represents one of the largest Ford and Mustang gatherings around, and the yearly event has already established a reputation for providing an exciting mix between track action, club meetings, rally in the countryside and closeness among car lovers coming from all over France.

January 8-9, Silver Springs, FL

• 17th annual Ford and Mustang Roundup at Silver Springs, hosted by National Parts Depot and co-sponsored by Mustang Monthly and Modified Mustangs & Fords magazines.
• Free registration to first 1,000 pre-registered cars by January 1, which includes two passes to Silver Springs. People's Choice judging, Mustang Monthly, Modified Mustangs & Fords Editor's choice awards.
• Info: Stacy Gunn, 352/861-8701 (ext. 4208) or email to sgunn@npdlink.com.

It has been 37 years since Jim Wicks first put together a simple meeting of Mustang enthusiasts in his backyard in Oklahoma City. As time marched on, so did the event, growing from a single day, to what has become a five-day event that covers everything a Ford and Mustang owner could want: road racing, dragstrip action, a cruise night, and a car show. This just isn’t any old car show, this is an all-Ford experience, where you can bring your car and enjoy it for what it was intended—speed.

One of the most anticipated arrivals of each New Year has been the annual Ford & Mustang Roundup in Silver Springs, Florida. The show, historically placed in the first few weeks of January of each year, is home to nearly 1,000 show cars of all years and models. Many show goers look to the Silver Springs show, held at the famous Silver Springs park, as the launch party for the annual car show season. It certainly doesn’t hurt the fact that National Parts Depot has generously stepped in for over a decade now to cover the cost of the first 1,000 car entries, which includes two tickets for the park and all of its attractions as well. The annual show draws attendees from throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as international visitors every year. Included in the weekend event is a Friday car cruise that begins at NPD’s Ocala, Florida, location (this year 134 cars participated), a midway with key suppliers to NPD’s catalogs, product demonstrations, awards, and more.

As one of those "seasoned" enough to personally remember its rollout, it's chronologically depressing to realize that Ford's fine-feathered Falcon turned 50 years old in 2010. Still, any half-century anniversary is good reason for a party, so the Falcon Club of America decided to schedule last summer's annual Nationals event in Dearborn, fittingly enough in a location directly across the Southfield Freeway from Ford World Headquarters. There, over the span of three uncharacteristically hot and humid Michigan July days, FCA president Chuck Beason and the Metro Detroit Chapter welcomed home more than 300 pre-registered Falcons, spanning the sporty compact's amazingly diverse model lineup from 1960 through 19701/2. They also made this Modified Mustangs & Fords correspondent feel very welcome. My main task there was to digitally capture some feature-worthy modified Falcons-which you'll see in upcoming issues-but what follows here is a sampling of the broad selection of cars on hand.

There are lots of car and truck shows on the circuit but few offer such a concentrated selection of vintage Ford-powered machines as the 32nd annual F-100 Supernationals. The event was older than some of the participants and has a rich history in the F-100 community. Returning after a long absence, the show is back in Pigeon Forge, a move applauded by both the city officials and drivers alike. It was also the first event to be held in Pigeon Forge's new municipal parking lot, offering acres of display space to the 912 vehicles and estimated six thousand spectators. The added bonus of unlimited shopping and resort attractions was not lost on another segment of the F-100 community, ensuring that there was something to do for everyone.

This past September marked the 15th anniversary of the Y-Block Nationals, which was held in conjunction with the NMRA Expo at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio. While we haven't done much more than include a photo of the past winner within our NMRA coverage before, this year, we opted to dedicate several pages to those who cherish the Y-Block engine, and wring it out on the track.

2010 marked the inaugural year for the Monster Transmission and Performance Auto Show and Shine. The event was held at the Hernando County Fairgrounds in Brooksville, Florida, and offered much more than just beautiful cars to look at.

On Saturday, October 23, 2010, the Mustang Club of Tampa (MCT) hosted its 29th annual Mustang, Shelby, and Ford Roundup. The event was held at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) and was sponsored by Bill Currie Ford-Lincoln-Mercury and the Museum of Science and Industry.

There's no denying that summer-time is cruising and car show season, and there are plenty of these events to attend. Some-times these things can conflict with summer vacations, but a select group of Mustang enthusiasts decided to combine the two, and create a summertime vaca-tion destination that includes a large variety of fun things to do with your Mustang, along with quality family time at a world-renowned beach resort. Mustang Week was born several years ago, and the organizers have been working hard every year to make it bigger and better than the previous one.

Buckeyestangs.com recently held its 7th annual All-Mustang car show at the Summit Racing Equipment headquarters in Tallmadge, Ohio this past August. While Modified Mustangs and Fords was only there in spirit, we did have help from the folks at Summit Racing who did the legwork for us during the show so we could bring you event coverage.

The 15th Annual Carlisle Ford Nationals Did Not Disappoint Car enthusiasts everywhere look forward to their favorite shows of the year. The reason these shows end up being at the top of their travel lists vary, as any one show can mean different things to different people. For some it's the actual show location. Aren't we all guilty of fitting a family vacation in and around a major show event? Come on, you can tell us the truth (and your wife isn't fooled either guys, trust me!). Other reasons include annual meet and greets within the show for those diehard Ford fans of Mavericks, Torinos, 7-Litre cars, Cougars, T-birds, and more. Not to mention the show's activities are a big reason too; from driving events and cruises, to photo opportunities, drag racing, celebrity signings, and so forth. Whatever the reason, we all have our short list of favorites, and for us the annual Carlisle Ford Nationals is right there near the top.

While not the parts trove of hardware like the annual SEMA and PRI shows, the Hotrod & Restoration show held each March in Indianapolis, does hold a special place in our car-infested minds. It's mostly due to the fact that these hotrod-based companies, like Lokar, American Autowire, Heidts, and others are ever so quickly migrating into the muscle car and classic car parts arena, and we don't want to miss out on a single new part that's being released. Not to mention, Indy is just a cool town to visit!

The 16th Annual Silver Springs Ford & Mustang Roundup Sixteen years is a long time for anything these days, but we're constantly amazed at the flyers we receive here at the office for shows all across the country that are well into the double digits for their annual show. A successful show isn't easy to come by. You have to have a nice location, a good date on the calendar (you know how many shows are scheduled for Father's Day weekend every year?), and a well-organized staff of club members or employees to handle the logistics. A big show (we're talking 200 or more cars) can't be handled by just one person. Just because a show has a "show chairperson" doesn't mean that they are responsible for everything. No, delegation is the keyword and it takes several people to do it right-someone to handle registration, someone to handle vendors, and so forth. Day of show is a whole 'nother monster with lines of cars that need to be run through registration and parked in a timely manner. No one wants to sit in a line overheating just to get into a car show. Not even me!

The annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show, held in Orlando, Florida, for the last five years and for many years prior in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a Mecca for all things speed related. From insanely fast shifter go-carts to dirt and asphalt-based race cars, drag racing, road racing, and anything else related to the art of going fast (even machinery used to make the go-fast parts) is displayed here for three days every year in early December. While admission is free, it is only open to trade professionals like race teams, shop owners, engine builders, parts buyers, and more. While the SEMA show held in November out in Las Vegas is a more general automotive aftermarket show with everything from chrome emblems and LED taillights to supercharger kits and cylinder heads, the PRI show is definitely more on the hard-core side of things. There's a good bit of booth space devoted to gear our readers will most likely not care to see on the next few pages (then again I do know some of our readers race shifter carts, late-model modifieds, and such), but the PRI show does allow us to get up close and personal with those hard-core parts companies that we either couldn't get to at the SEMA show, or they didn't display at the SEMA show. So check out some of the goodies that got our attention and if you want to know more, be certain to get in touch with the manufacturer directly.

It was a whirlwind of emails, phone calls, and favors, but none the less Factory Five and Modified Mustangs & Fords pulled off a great event for owners and potential owners alike. What started out as a simple forum request for a get together location for Factory Five to have some owners meet and take part in the unveiling of a newly built '33 Hotrod kit by the SPEED TV show Two Guys Garage turned into a full blown event. We're talking the Factory Five semi-trailer, display vehicles, the SPEED TV film crew, the hosts of Two Guys Garage Kevin Byrd and Brian Fuller, Dave Smith and the whole technical crew from Factory Five, and more. The Modified Mustangs & Fords offices, shop, and more were open for self-guided tours of our facilities while Factory Five owners enjoyed seeing other owners' Roadsters, Type 65 Coupes, Spec Racers, and even a GTM supercar.

In conjunction with Factory Five Racing we'll be holding an open house this Saturday for central Florida Mustang and Ford fanatics. What started off as a simple starting point for Factory Five owners for a Saturday morning road rally has become a full blown event where Dave Smith, FFR's President will unveil their new Mk 4 Roadster to the public for the first time in the Southeast. In addition, SPEED TV's Two Guys Garage, which films not far from our offices, is building a Factory Five '33 Hotrod and will unveil it at this event as well. So come on by for some coffee and donuts, a tour of our shop where the magazine "magic" happens, and see the latest and greatest product from Factory Five along with over 50 Factory Five Roadsters displayed before we leave for our cruise. The event officially starts at 10am and we leave for Bradenton, Florida and the annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout at 11am. Bring your cameras and lots of batteries. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for sure! See you there!