Ford Mustang Pulls in Record Crowds at Smithsonian-affiliated Museum

Antique Automobile Club of America Museum presents ‘Mustangs: Six Generations of America’s Favorite Pony Car’ in Pennsylvania.

There are plenty of ways to get your Ford Mustang fix every day, such as coming here, for starters. There’s also your local Cars and Coffee, any given parking lot, any given Ford dealership, your local car show, and so on.

But how about a museum, especially one linked to the Smithsonian? From now through October 14, 2018, Hershey, Pennsylvania’s Antique Automobile Club of America Museum has six generations’ worth of Mustangs on display in its newest temporary exhibit, “Mustangs: Six Generations of America’s Favorite Pony Car.”

Curated by guest curator Jim Alberts, over 30 Ford Mustangs show the progression of the storied pony car through the ages, from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones of the Sixties, to Nixon and the fuel crises of the Seventies, and on through to the glorious technology-driven era of today.

Dedication to the Ford Mustang Brand

The heart of Mustangs: Six Generations, per AACA Museum Executive Director Jeff Bliemeister, is about “maintaining the brand” through the presentation of the Mustang’s evolution over five decades. Among the 30 Mustangs on display include: Henry Ford II’s 1964 convertible, a pair of Boss 302 and Boss 429 Mustangs in the lobby, three early first-gen models parked at a drive-in featuring the promo film for the 1971 Ford Mustang, a limited-edition Mustang II King Cobra paired with one of the first turbocharged Fox body Mustang SVOs, and one of the first pilot production Mustangs.

Ford Performance Enthusiasts Communications Manager John Clor said the evolution of the Ford Mustang had been driven by its fans “since day one.” From individual owners to whole clubs, the Mustang community had done more to maintain the legacy of the pony car than Ford itself (remember how close the Mustang was to becoming the Ford Probe?).

If you want to see Mustangs: Six Generations for yourself, the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12.50 for adults, $11.50 for seniors 61 years of age and up, and $9.50 for children ages 4 through 12.

Join the Mustang Forums now!

Cameron Aubernon

Cameron Aubernon's path to automotive journalism began in the early New '10s. Back then, a friend of hers thought she was an independent fashion blogger.

Aubernon wasn't, so she became one, covering fashion in her own way for the next few years.

From there, she's written for: Louisville.com/Louisville Magazine, Insider Louisville, The Voice-Tribune/The Voice, TOPS Louisville, Jeffersontown Magazine, Dispatches Europe, The Truth About Cars, Automotive News, Yahoo Autos, RideApart, Hagerty, and Street Trucks.

Aubernon also served as the editor-in-chief of a short-lived online society publication in Louisville, Kentucky, interned at the city's NPR affiliate, WFPL-FM, and was the de facto publicist-in-residence for a communal art space near the University of Louisville.

Aubernon is a member of the International Motor Press Association, and the Washington Automotive Press Association.

Facebook   Twitter   Instagram