It was this Sunday, May 5, that thousands of vehicle owners met at the Exhibition center. From 6 a.m. in the morning, the column, which could stretch for some 24 kilometers, will set off towards Quebec to join the Salon Auto-Sport Québec which is being held in the capital.
“The record is 1326, we had 2300 registrations. It’s certain that there are some who will perhaps cancel because it’s raining, but I’m not worried,” reveals Sylvie Provencher, instigator of the project. The current global brand is the result of a gathering that took place in Belgium in 2019.
“It’s going to be big”
Retired, Ms. Provencher has been working on the project full time for several weeks. “Try to imagine how long that might take, and I’ll make you multiply it by 100. It’s incredible,” she admits.
The organizers aim to form a procession of nearly 2,300 Mustangs, all generations combined, in order to parade between Trois-Rivières and Quebec. (Facebook/Vintage car exhibitions Montreal and surrounding areas)
Since the feat achieved in 2019 in Europe, she aims to take the brand a little higher, this time on Quebec soil. The pandemic will have delayed his plans, but “it’s a nice coincidence”, since it means that the convoy will set off during the celebrations of the sixtieth anniversary of the Mustang.
“It’s not just people from Quebec, that’s what we need to understand. I have people from New Brunswick, I have people from the United States, I have people from Ontario and I even have people from France who came down specifically for this record. explains Sylvie Provencher.
“There are people from France who arrived in Montreal, they rented Mustangs in Montreal and they are registered in the challenge. The passion for the Mustang is global.”
— Sylvie Provencher, instigator of the convoy
“It’s going to be big, bigger than I thought, that’s for sure,” she rejoices.
The parade will leave the Exhibition Park at 6 a.m. on Sunday and will join Highway 40 heading east to head towards Quebec. It will only occupy the right lane and plans to reach a cruising speed of 85 km/h.
For the mission she set herself, Ms. Provencher was able to count on the enthusiasm of Mustang owners’ clubs which are present almost everywhere in the territory, including in Mauricie. It is with enthusiasm that they relayed the invitation to the event and wish to go there as a group. The members of these associations alone would form two-thirds of the convoy.
Taking care of Trois-Rivières
The regrouping should take place during the night, Sunday, since the organizers are expecting the first cars from 2 a.m. Restrooms and food trucks will be on site to ensure drivers have everything they need to spend the night under the stars.
Sylvie Provencher, also calls for respect from the owners of the iconic muscle car American towards the population of Trois-Rivières and the seniors who live in the residences around the gathering place.
The Ford Mustang celebrates its sixtieth anniversary this year. (Ford)
“We are Mustang fans. This is done during the night. […] I would like you to think of these grandmothers and grandfathers who are in these residences and who are perhaps not ready to live our trip to us,” she says with a video published on social networks.
“I ask you not to flush your engines, not to squeal your tires either. This is not the time nor is it the place to do such things. I wish we could think of others.”
— Sylvie Provencher, instigator of the convoy
“We will give you, at the entrance to Trois-Rivières, a small garbage bag,” she continues. “So that we can not only leave the parking lot clean, I would like it to be cleaner than when we arrived. Once again, the reputation of Mustang drivers is in your hands.”
Activities are also planned for Saturday by the Mustang Mauricie Club, which invites people who will already be in Trois-Rivières in preparation for departure the next day to gather in the parking lot of the Les Rivières center between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
