Lionel Deslandes, 75, of Lima and his wife, Janice, enjoy cruising on a warm, summer’s day in their 1998 Mustang GT convertible.
LIMA – Lionel Deslandes doesn’t miss much when he’s driving. He not only keeps his eyes on the road, but notices what is happening on the sides of the road, too.
That’s why you will find the 75-year-old Lima man and his bride, Janice, enjoying a warm summer’s day by driving with the top down on their 1998 Mustang GT convertible.
“I was going down Elida Road two years ago and saw the owner parking it at a car lot,” he said of the Mustang. “I swung around to take a closer look and found out the guy was trading it in for a truck. I wasn’t going to let it sit there. I bought it.”
The Mustang has always seemed to have that kind of allure with many car aficionados.
When Ford Motor Company executive Lee Iacocca introduced the 1965 Mustang at the World’s Fair in April of 1964, his intention was to go after the growing youth market. He got that and more.
The Mustang received instant acclaim. Ford planned for 100,000 first-year sales, but dealers sold 22,000 on the first day.
Deslandes said his ‘98 Mustang GT is all original, in excellent shape, and is a smooth ride.
That shouldn’t be surprising. Four years earlier Ford allocated $700 million to improve the car’s handling over the previous generation of Mustangs.
Cars.com praised the GT model, such as the one owned by Deslandes. It said the Mustang GT was set apart further from base-model Mustangs by its stiffer suspension, dual exhaust system and and larger 16-inch wheels that were outfitted for better performance and handling.
There have been many variations of the Mustang during its 57-year history. It has proven to be popular with car enthusiasts of all ages.
Deslandes calls his and Janice’s Mustang their “dream car.”
When he drove it to the Happy Daz cruise-in in August, he said, “You’re never too old to enjoy riding around in a convertible on a beautiful spring, summer or fall day.”
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• Mail: Real Wheels, Newsroom, The Lima News, 3515 Elida Road, Lima, OH 45807.
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