The 2008 Ford Mustang is virtually unrecognizable from the Mustang of yesteryear. I remember my uncle’s Mustang as a masculine vehicle that people would take notice of every time he peeled away from a stop light. I remember accompanying him on drives in the evenings and looking through the sunroof at the stars in the clear sky. At the time, I wanted nothing more than a Mustang when I grew up.

Thirty years later, I still have that dream. And watching the Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 on NBC’s TV movie Knight Rider didn’t do anything to extinguish that dream. It only made it grow brighter.

Even though the newer Mustangs are different than the classics, I would be satisfied with either version. I like the loud engine and power of the older Mustangs. But I like the sleeker style and eco-friendliness of the newer ones.

The closest I came to owning one of these magnificent Ford vehicles is when we rented one to go the beach last year. I’ll never forget it. It was a cherry red Mustang with a white racing stripe on the side. The inside had beige leather. My wife sat beside me, and my best friend rode comfortably in the back seat. I loved the simplicity of the controls. There wasn’t anything confusing like with some of the new-fangled systems.

But the best part about driving the Mustang to the beach was the attention we got. When we rode into the parking lot, the attendant saw our vehicle and immediately charged a higher price than he did for the guy ahead of me. He saw the Mustang as a status symbol, but I talked him down on the price.

It was almost impossible for me to turn the keys back in to the rental agency the next day. And now I want one even more.  For a look at the new Ford Mustang, stop by one of our Ford dealerships, at our Ford dealership in St. Louis MO or our Ford dealers - Waterloo.