GT Thrills, Emeline King’s Legacy, And A Historic Venue

National Mustang Day takes place every year on April 17. It’s been that way since the Mustang debuted on that day at the World’s Fair in 1964. While not an official holiday (although we should talk about changing that), for Mustang enthusiasts it’s a day to celebrate by at least driving your Mustang and enjoying this icon.

This week, I was fortunate enough to be driving (for the sake of reviewing it) a great Mustang – the 2024 Mustang GT. To celebrate further, I drove that GT up to the Halderman Barn Museum in Tipp City, Ohio to hear a special guest speaker with a great Mustang story.

Celebrating Mustang Heritage In The 2024 Ford Mustang GT

First things first, the 2024 Mustang GT comes with a V8 engine, which all muscle cars should have. The one in the Mustang GT is a 5.0-liter V8 with 480 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. With rear-wheel drive and a 10-speed automatic transmission, this car holds up to its legendary nameplate, able to run wild and free, like a Mustang.

2024 Ford Mustang GT

My tester had the exterior paint color of dark matter gray. But it also came with the GT Performance Package that includes summer tires, Brembo brakes and a raised wing spoiler. Further, it had the California Special Package that included lower body striping, matching badge and color-matched rims. It was easily one of the best-looking Mustangs I’ve driven.

Dark Horse Button

The Mustang Dark Horse is the new high-performance pony car from Ford. This GT had one feature that is shared with the Dark Horse, and that’s the “Pony” button. Push the Mustang button and the driver has access to adjustable drive modes and exhaust tunings.

Highlights Of The “Dark Horse” Button

• Selectable drive modes: drive modes like Normal, Sport, Comfort, Track, and Drag modes, each with its own unique settings for steering, suspension, and throttle response.

• Exhaust Sound Adjustment: Alter the exhaust sound (tune) for a throatier, sportier experience.

• Brake Hold: In some cases, the button can be programmed as a shortcut to enable the brake hold feature, which can be useful in stop-and-go traffic or on hills.

• Track apps: You can access apps to record your times and splits.

Drift Away In The Mustang GT

My tester was equipped with an electronic drift brake. This is a hydraulic handbrake that allows you to lock the rear wheels to initiate a slide or drift. I did not use this feature during my time with the Mustang, but it does offer two settings, one for beginners and one for experienced drifters.

The Drift Brake only works when you enable Track Mode from the aforementioned “Pony” button.

Journey To The Mustang Design Mecca

The Halderman Barn Museum may not be a nationally recognized museum, but it should be a must-stop for all Mustang enthusiasts.

Located in Tipp City, Ohio (just north of Dayton), this museum stands as an homage to car design. It was the home of Gale Halderman who was the principal designer of the original Ford Mustang and who worked 40 years at Ford as a designer and design executive.

While there are a few sweet Mustangs inside the museum, this isn’t a car museum per se. It’s a museum dedicated to design, where the walls are covered in designs by various designers throughout the years at Ford. Many of these designs are just sketches of cars that never became anything. There’s also Ford memorabilia as well as photos of some of the biggest names in Ford history, including Lee Iacocca, Hal Sperlich, Joe Oros, Henry Ford II and, of course, Gale Halderman.

I was honored to write the book Mustang by Design about Gale’s remarkable career. The Halderman Museum is like that book come to life and is often the host of many car club events, Mustang club meets and sometimes the host of special events.

Emeline King: The Queen Of Mustang Car design

The Halderman Barn Museum was the host of a very special guest – Emeline King. King worked her way through the Ford Design Center where she worked on the Ford Thunderbird and played a major role in designing the graphics on the 1994 Ford Mustang Mach III which served as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500.

Her crowning moment in her career came with her on the fourth generation Ford Mustang, known as the SN95. Her work on the 1994 Mustang (the 40th anniversary of the Mustang) won her accolades at Ford and helped that car win car of the year.

Mustang is a family legacy, passed from one generation to the next. My father worked in the Ford design studio, and then I followed in his footsteps too. Everyone has a Mustang story

King said she is incredibly proud to have brought a bit of feminine inspiration to the 1994 Mustang with a two-tone cockpit. She said, “This allowed driver and passenger to enjoy different experiences in the car, while also broadening the appeal of the already popular car.”

King said the Mustang’s legacy carries on after 61 years because of family values. She further explained, “Mustang is a family legacy, passed from one generation to the next. My father worked in the Ford design studio, and then I followed in his footsteps too. Everyone has a Mustang story,” she said.

King owns and drives a 1965 Mustang K-Code which she shares with her sister and told her own Mustang story about this car.

“In many ways, Mustang history is American history,” she said.

Perhaps King’s biggest place in history is that she served as the first woman of color to work in the Ford design studio. This, despite the adversity she faced, including one of her early teachers who told her that “boys design cars, not girls” shows why she’s such an inspiration.

King worked at Ford Motor Company from 1983-2008 and broke down many barriers and opened up the car design industry to everyone. King’s success with the Mustang brought herself and Ford some notoriety.

President Joe Biden presented King with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. She chronicles her remarkable career in a book called What Do You Mean A Black Girl Can’t Design? Emeline King, She Did It.

Perfect Way To Celebrate National Mustang Day

Having driven the 2024 Ford Mustang GT up to the Halderman Barn to listen to this remarkable speaker was truly a wonderful way to celebrate National Mustang Day. How will you celebrate Mustang Day? What’s your Mustang story?