03-27-06: The Copperstate Mustang Club’s Treasured Ponies show is a growing and vibrant event in the Southwest. In the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona, the event attracts Mustang owners from as far away as Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Nevada and neighboring California.

Held this year from March 24-26th, the event spans three days starting with a drag racing night at nearby Firebird International Raceway. Then on Saturday the big show is held at Earnhardt Ford in Chandler, the club’s sponsoring dealer. In the late afternoon when the show is over, the whole group convoys to Scottsdale Pavilions to join the cruise in. Pavillions is a staple event in the Phoenix area, a weekly car confab that attracts hundreds of cars from 30's street rods to Ferraris every Saturday, all year along. The weekend winds down with a Sunday cruise and display at the nearby Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino where the group celebrated with a champagne brunch.

This year’s show garnered about 125 cars ranging from 1964 through 2006 models. You never know what you will find here at this event as there always seems to be a couple rare and unique cars. We came across a rare 1988 McClaren Mustang as well as a new S197 Eleanor GT500E special edition. Even a finely restored King Cobra Mustang II in bright orange made the show.

We always appreciate a car show held at a car dealership because the venue offers show goers and car owners alike the opportunity to have a look at the new cars, often without the laser beam attention of car salesmen. Car dealerships usually present a great place to get good exposure and foot traffic for a show as well.

Last year three consecutively numbered red 1968 Shelby GT-350’s showed up by chance from different states and were parked next to one another. The cars were virtually identical, all having been made the same day. One had been completely restored to concourse standards, another was 100% original with faded paint and road rash. The third car was somewhere in-between. The owners are now good friends who try and make shows with all three cars whenever they can.

The club that runs the event is long established and very organized. They have a show infrastructure in place ranging from a large stage with displays for their show announcements and awards. There is a trailer and booth for the sale of club merchandise, handling show business and the sale of other memorabilia. Dan Martorano, a long time board member of the club is a regular fixture behind the microphone if not “the voice of the show“. He spends the day playing tunes, making announcements, and telling Mustang trivia to show goers.

If you missed the spring show don’t worry, the club also presents a fall show every year in October that is much larger than the spring event and well worth the drive.

You can check in with them on their website: www.copperstatemustangclub.com