Germany Has More Mustang Enthusisasts Than You Think
For one German man, his GT500 is more than just a well-restored classic. It’s become part of his family.
We often take for granted the largely uninhibited access we have to the Ford Mustang here in the United States. Built and made for the USA, classics are arguably common, and knowledgeable people to answer questions are easy to come by. In Germany, that’s exactly the opposite case, and as such, the Mustang has a small, but very loyal following in that country.
Ralph Wurm is one of those loyalists. His first Mustang was a Mustang II, but soon, his Mustang ownership expanded beyond that. Wurm says, “at the age of 18, I bought my first Mustang. The sound was different from the sounds of German cars, how to sit in the car was different, and I was very proud of having a car which nobody else had.”
Soon, however, Wurm realized that enthusiasm for Mustangs could actually help other Mustang owners in Germany. He now is known for helping others look at classic ‘Stangs to “check the originality of the cars. After doing this for many years, I can see a lot of stuff other people don’t see,” he says. His attention to detail is helpful for someone who is new to Mustangs, as he further states, “I can see body parts, which may have been replaced, or maybe if there is filler under the paint.”
Wurm enjoys his own Mustang as well, and it’s quite the powerhouse. Wurm’s 1969 Shelby GT500 was completely restored from the bottom up, in his words. It was completely restored from almost scratch, stripping it down to every screw and taking all the paint off as well. But for him a GT500 is so unique, that it is more than a well-restored classic. In fact it’s become part of his family.
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