Yes, it’s true that the Mustang Owner’s Podcast was previously able to sit down for a long interview with Chuck Cantwell, the legendary project engineer for the original Shelby GT350, back in the spring of 2002. That’s when our podcast’s founder, the late Steve Hall, steered Cantwell through a load of questions with Chuck offering up story after story on this historically significant Mustang. But that was also when we were only on Spotify, and didn’t have the video to witness Chuck’s smile as he fondly recalled what went on behind the scenes introducing the Shelby GT350 to the motoring public. This time around John and Mike were able to get Cantwell join us for a recording session where we were able to ask his views on things we’ve never heard others ask him before. Listen in as we celebrated Chuck’s 92 nd birthday with more great stories behind the development of the Shelby GT350 that you won’t want to miss.

We discovered Robert Kennedy a few years ago, thanks to his rather unique ability to put the Ford Mustang’s generational history into the context of the times when each version was introduced and sold in the marketplace, rather than the all-too-common apples-to-oranges comparisons of models that came before or after. Kennedy’s self-produced “Adapt Or Die” YouTube video about the significant impact that the 1974-78 Mustang II had on the successful lineage of Mustang’s product history was the kind of perspective put in context that helped the Mustang II shed those “Worst Mustang” and “Pinto Stang” labels that today’s internet wannabe historians incorrectly regurgitate ad nauseum. John reached out to enlist Kennedy in a growing Mustang II movement that John and Mike founded in August of 2016. That’s when Mike’s “MOCSEM Mustang Memories & All Ford Show” at Ford World Headquarters hosted nearly 100 Mustang II’s from across the country for the first-ever national second-gen reunion. In this podcast interview, Kennedy reveals how that involvement had inspired him to pen a massive self-published Mustang history book he called “Unbridled,” whose success has now led to an updated remake published by Motorbooks International alled “Mustang Unbridled” Listen in as Kennedy explains what makes his new hardbound Mustang history book so unique, while John commends him for some other children’s books he’s created and Mike salutes him for taking charge of the Mustang II Reunions that will mark their 10th anniversary event this summer.

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 in

the 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 the

grand opening of the all-new Ford World Headquarters on the Ford engineering campus

in Dearborn last November, Blue Oval fans were excited. While some seemed more

concerned about the impending demolition of The Glass House, others were interested

in bringing their collectible Fords to a hastily assembled “Community Car Show” on the

site. 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 their

experiences and photos from the event in this episode – with some celebrity surprises

included!

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!