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Modern Fords Mixed It Up With The Classics At Fabulous Fords Forever

When Fabulous Fords Forever debuted as the West Coast’s premier all-Ford car show back in 1986, it was a huge success.  Over 1,324 cars registered for the inaugural event and both the organizers and even Ford Motor Company knew they had created something special. Fast forward to almost 33 years later, and the annual event is one of the largest one-day car shows, not only in California, but in North America as well.

This year, Ford Motor Company took center stage once again with an impressive display of cars and trucks for blue oval fans to admire. And the company was on hand to celebrate five critical milestones in Ford’s rich history.

In total, 1,649 Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln vehicles registered to attend the event, with priceless classic cars ranging from a 1915 Model T to the yet to be released 2019 Ford Ranger and 2019 Bullitt Mustang. However, what made this year so special was the large sponsor, exhibitor, and volunteer groups that were on hand welcoming Ford fans throughout the day. Over 240 Ford Car Club Council volunteers, along with 15 Boy Scouts from Troop 167 in Garden Grove, California, greeted fans as they entered the free event and helped those attendees navigate the expansive show.

More than 1,600 vehicles rolled into the Knott‘s Berry Farm parking lot for Fabulous Fords Forever. Many drivers arrived as early as 5 a.m. to take part in the cruise into the big show.

Having that kind of support was especially important this year because attendees were able to meet and greet some of the biggest names in the industry. Celebrity personalities like Ford GT driver Joey Hand; the first lady of racing, Linda Vaughn; and 2018 ROUSH Mustang driver Justin Pawlak were in attendance signing autographs for the fans.

Event sponsors like Edelbrock, Vortech, and Whipple all had vehicles on display showing off all the latest in aftermarket performance.

As we made our way around this year’s event, we realized just how many aftermarket companies were on hand. While there was an impressive range of vehicle years on display, it’s no secret that we gravitate toward the booths showcasing the latest hardware. Whipple, Vortech, and Falken Tire all had applications on display for the 2018 Mustang GT, and Borla had the Focus RS fans covered as well.

The weather was perfect this year for witnessing so many unique Ford vehicles with their engine bays on full display.

We are happy to introduce to our fans the Saleen S302 White, Yellow, and Black Label 2018 Mustang packages. — Steve Saleen

One brimming with new Mustangs was the Saleen booth. This display was easily double the size of most of the venues at the event and was a crowd favorite. Automotive legend Steve Saleen was on hand at this year’s event, signing autographs for the fans. We caught up with him to find out about his company’s 2018 vehicle lineup.

“So far, 2018 has shaped up to be an exciting year,” Steve enthused. “We are happy to introduce to our fans the Saleen S302 White, Yellow, and Black Label 2018 Mustang packages. The three available performance packages range from 470 horsepower for the White Label 302 package all the way up to an impressive 760-horsepower Black Label package.”

Saleen brought out the big guns this year, showcasing the entire lineup of 2018 Saleen vehicles. The company even showed off the Saleen Mustang police car that patrols the streets of Seal Beach, California.

In addition to the three available 2018 Saleen Mustang packages, the company gave fans a sneak peek at its Sport Truck package, as well as the 30th anniversary edition Mustang and a special ride of its own.

“We are also putting ourselves back into the sports car market,” Steve announced. “The S1 package is our own sports car design and features a two-seat, mid-engine, all aluminum tub, with a full carbon fiber body.” It’s powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 450 horsepower from a car that weighs under 2,700 pounds.”

Sport cars were born for sunny SoCal days, and we could not have asked for better weather at this year’s event, with the temperature staying right in the mid to lower 70s. This made it the perfect day to grab your camera and take your time walking the entire venue. Each section of the event had a wide variety of Ford vehicles, all organized into separate categories and areas making it easy to find the type of vehicle you sought. 

On this particular day, we spent some time walking through a sea of Shelby GT350 and GT350Rs that were on hand. One vehicle, in particular, caught our eye and we tracked down the vehicle’s owner to find out more about his track ready GT350R and what makes attending the Fabulous Ford’s Forever event so special…

“I have been coming to the Fabulous Fords Forever event for the last six years,” Signature Wheels rep,Terrance Washington said. “Each year it keeps getting better. And this year I especially feel like I am part of the automotive scene with my connections at Signature Wheels. We are out here at the Fabulous Fords Forever event trying to bring great things to the Mustang Market and help contribute to the community.”

Of course, this event would not be possible without the support of official sponsors like Vortech Superchargers and Borla Exhaust.

We had a blast at the 33rd annual Fabulous Fords Forever. Each year it continues to grow and impress. If you are a Blue Oval enthusiast looking for a SoCal car show to official kick off the car show season each year, heading to Knott’s Berry Farm in April is the place to be. From the early morning roll-in at 7:00 a.m. until the police-escorted roll-out at the end of a day, the event has something for everyone and it’s one we reserve on our calendars every year.

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