Jdm New Mazda Roadster Mx-5 Miata Nd5 Short Antenna Arrows Japan on 2040-parts.com

Vintage photos show Ford Mustang I and the elusive XD Cobra

It's hardly surprising that our readers want to share their memories of the Ford Mustang -- 50 years is a long time for an automotive nameplate to endure, and the model's upcoming 50th anniversary is as good excuse as any to look back on the experiences that have made the car an enthusiast hit. Take William Drew, who had a close encounter with pony car history when he saw the Mustang I concept, plus a rare Ghia-bodied Shelby Cobra concept, at an auto dealer in Dallas in 1970. His slides (taken with a Yashica camera, he notes) show the unusual cars in the nice, bright colors of Kodachrome.

1975 JC Whitney catalog: A bonanza of aftermarket Volkswagen goodies

Back before there was the Internet, or even big car-parts chain stores, there was the JC Whitney catalog. Printed on cheap, pulpy paper and featuring tens of thousands of tiny, hand-drawn illustrations, these thick books gave me many hours of enjoyment in the early 1980s, as I fantasized about how I'd modify my incredibly sketchy and hooptified '58 Beetle. Now I've picked up a 1975 JC Whitney catalog, and the Volkswagen section is even better than I remembered!

Modeling for Meadow Brook: Cars, and dresses, on display at concours preview

Cars weren't the only models on display during a preview for the Concours D'Elegance of America at Meadow Brook. Wearing dresses by designer Bob Mackie, three female models also posed for the cameras. Mackie, who is known for dressing a number of celebrities, including Cher, originally designed the dresses to be worn in the 1983 North American International Auto Show.