Cheri & Mike Martin - Owner Comments
Mike and I (Cheri) have been interested in Mustang's for years.
Mike dreamed of them since he saw the first one when he was a
boy.
His first new car was a 1972 Mustang Sprint Sportroof. We
had to trade that one in in 1977. He never got over that and
dreamed of one day owning another one. Last year, we learned
about Howard's car and the opportunity to own a rare convertible
was there. We drove to Ohio and Mike fell in love with the car
and the deal was made. The car inspired the paint scheme in our
garage. We have four Mustangs now with the addition of the
Sprint. (A promise from Mike to sell one was broken when our
youngest son decided that he wanted it 'someday' so we had to
buy a lift to stack two of them). Our Sprint shares a stable
with a 1966 Convertible, a 1993 triple white Feature car and a
2005 GT. We have won First place awards in every show we entered
this past year and one Best In Show. It has been a great year!
Howard Ducharme - Owner Comments
“I fired it up, cut the tree out of the car and drove it home.”
And so it began. Howard Ducharme was cruising through the back
roads of Whitehouse, Ohio one day when he spotted a sleek object
sticking out of a barn. Driven by his passion for pony cars, he
turned around and boldly approached the lonely steed. Ducharme
discovered “what was left of a very rough-looking Mustang
convertible painted in a red, white and blue scheme.”
While rather beat up, Ducharme noted the drop top’s classic
concourse state aside from one considerable modification: “a
tree was growing up through the floorboards extending out
through the rear windows and convertible top.”
Unphased and rushing with adrenaline, Ducharme quickly jotted
down every number he could spot on the car and raced home to
begin his research.
He found that this was an authentic Mustang Olympic Sprint
convertible, fatefully built on March 23, 1972, his wife’s 16th
birthday. Only fifty of these convertibles were built
specifically for the ’72 National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade
in Washington D.C. A beauty queen from each state rode in each
convertible for the parade. The cars were then sent to
dealerships, 14 in the D.C. area and one in Michigan.
With such a rich story behind it, Ducharme saw no other option
besides getting that Mustang. He “sprinted” back to the barn and
approached the owner, who had purchased the car for his son.
Fortunately, his son was less than enthused about driving a car
with a tree sticking out of the side. Ducharme slid the owner
$4,300 and quickly replaced the battery to find the clock’s
second hand was still ticking. This was a start.
After cutting the tree out, he drove the car home to his wife
who “nearly had a heart attack” upon viewing the convertible’s
condition. But restoration began and the Olympic Sprint soon
began to shape up.
About three years into restoration, Ducharme was approached by
Playing Mantis, Inc. and told that his Olympic Sprint had been
chosen to be replicated as a matchbox-sized car. In addition,
Ducharme recently attained one of his lifelong goals at the
Prairieland Roundup in Springfield: receiving Gold in the
Concourse Driven category.
Now
seven years into his project, Ducharme claims he’s almost
completed the restoration. “But,” he adds, “we all know these
projects are never finished.”
This
car was created for the 1972 National Cherry Blossom Festival
Parade in Washington D.C. held April 8th, 1972. One beauty queen
representing each of the 50 states rode in each convertible for
the parade. After the parade, these 50 convertibles were shipped
back to about 14 dealers in the D.C. area and one to a dealer in
Michigan.
In
July of 2003, I was contacted by Lin Taylor of Playing Mantis,
Inc. notifying me that my Olympic Sprint had been chosen to be
replicated as a matchbox sized car in the Classic Gold Series. I
don’t know any higher form of gratification a person can receive
than to have his work chosen to become a part of a collection of
unique vehicles. The model went into production in September and
a limited number were released in January 2004 for sale in toy
stores nationwide.
At the Springfield show in 2007 we received the highest of
honors by receiving a GOLD in Concourse Driven by the MUSTANG
CLUB OF AMERICA (MCA). This part of history has won numerous
People's Choice, Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards along with Class
Champion Award in the Willistead Concourse De Elegance show in
CANADA. .
