Sponsors and Supporters

If you still have doubts in Phil Clark being the Mustang I and Pony Emblem Designer, look at this official Ford picture on right. Phil was "Da Man"! 

This is Phils own Mustang emblem glued to the clay model of the Mustang I.

Those that still may have doubts, are just ignoring the facts. And the latest books have missed to tell the real background. That's the reason that Hollys fight is still not over. Go spend a minute or 10 at her booth at this years Stampede or some MCA events, she might be able to join.

3^RD ANNUAL PHIL CLARK STAMPEDE 2007

JUNE 29^TH and 30^TH saw the Phil Clark Stampede in Hillsboro Texas.

This is mid May 1962 - the clay model was finished 25.May 1962! All the drawings hanging behind the clay model are made by Phil Clark. See below.

The David Ash/Joe Oros Cougar concept car that made it into the final Mustang 1964 1/2 was selected on 16th. August 1962 and soon after David was requested ("sworn to secrecy" to change the name to Mustang and change the emblems, as he points out in his Ford Benson research center interview. That was after the sporty little coupe made its first appearances and the word was spreach around about a new Mustang. 

Make your own judgement how the Mustang idea was inspired at Ford 
Fact is they registered the running horse only in 2004, not before. 
The book 2 will accompany Phil Clark - having the  Mustang idea with him through Art School and through the X-office of GM to Ford - until  the idea was finally accepted, when they were looking for an eyecatcher and PR-gig. What started as a PR-gig turned into a wave and Ford was caught on it. 

 initial press release  by the City of Rusk.
"Rusk seeks racing niche
By Kelly Young
RUSK — One of the attractions at this weekend’s Independence Day Celebration will be a racing display being sponsored by the Rusk Chamber of Commerce. The display will feature pictures and items donated by automotive and motorsports businesses in the area.
“As a small town, in order to attract people into this area, we need to find a niche that will bring people here and make them stay,” Rusk Chamber of Commerce office manager ... said. “The Rusk area has a surprising amount of racing history that I think could make us a racing destination.”
The purpose of the display will be to gauge local interest in the topic. If response to the exhibit is positive, the chamber will consider establishing a full-sized racing museum and will try to attract more racing venues into town. A majority of the exhibits to be on display Saturday have been donated for the day by Racefab Inc. and the Phil Clark Foundation.
.....
Holly Clark is a local freelance writer who resides in Rusk. She is the only daughter of Phillip Thomas Clark, the designer of the first Ford Mustang. Phil Clark died when Holly was just a little girl, and her family never volunteered information about her father. Holly grew up knowing nothing about her father’s work.
In her attic one day, Holly found a treasure trove of her father’s old things; old design sketches, diaries and pictures — all proving her father’s involvement in designing the first Mustang. Most of the pieces in Clark’s collection had never before been seen. Clark recently self-published a book, “Finding My Father,” the first in “The Man Behind the Pony” series.
“It’s really amazing that these two groups would both end up in Rusk so close to each other,” Brown said. “There’s a lot of automobile and racing history right here in Rusk.”
Also tied into the car/racing theme of the exhibit is the 2nd annual Mustang Stampede that will follow the parade and will feature nearly 100 Mustangs from around the world.
The Mustangs will parade around the square at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and will then park so patrons can take a closer look. Holly Clark will be present at the Stampede for an autograph session to help promote her book.

Actual Car show pics thanks to Donna and Tommy Gayers


Being finally outside with her own merchandise stand



Another book display. Go buy this book. Get the word spread of a very talented Ford and L-M designer.

Hollys Posters announcing the Phil Clark 

 
(Picture courtesy Stefan Arendt)
Holly proudly presenting the result of her fathers design contribution at the 40th Anniv. 
Phil Clark worked from April 62-Feb.64 in the Bordinat Design Studio. 

Last year
2nd-3rd. July 2005 in the city of Rusk, Texas. 
Holly Clark payed tribute to her father Phil Clark, who obviously played a - if not the - vital role in creating the Pony logo and Mustang I design. Since she appeared at the 40th. Anniversary together with the Mustang I and especially since she got a letter from J. Mays in 2002 confirming the important role of her father in the Bordinat Design Center, Holly has intensified her research and found out new details. We will keep you updated. So if you are a Ford and Mustang nut, make sure to be there at this Memorial parade for Phil Clark, the "Ponymaker". 
 

All pics courtesy Tommy Gayer. The Red River Classic Mustang Club rolled into Rusk.

Rusk/Texas  2006
Holly Clark wants her father remembered the way 
he deserves to be remembered

Her friends and Mustangers from the Red River Classic Mustang Club came into town to save Hollys day, which was characterized by a number of misunderstandings. The car show obviously was to big for the Rusk Square, so Holly will change the location for 2007.

Holly and her friend Donna (The friend that talked Holly into telling the WORLD about Mustangs)
In front of SUPPORTING CHAPMANS after a VERY LONG DAY July 1


Holly smiling during this photoshoot at her  display in the CAR MUSEUM. 

 


Mustangs on display from the Red River Classic Mustang club. They came to see Phil Clark memorabilia, designs and for the promotion of the book .

The Racefab Inc had nice memorabilia displays inside the then called CAR MUSEUM  and certainly contributed a lot to the attractiveness of the event. 

 

Holly and her 'adopted' daughter pose for a photo in Front of Chapman's Pharmacy,

Catrina is one of nine of Holly Clark's Foster Children.. (and one of the reasons Holly waited to raise them and her own son before pursuing her dream of FINDING HER FATHER).

Bob Francis Ford supported Holly

More pictures of the Stampede available from Joe Clemmons 
"Holly, they were out there out of respect for the man, in support of you, and to honor the icon - namely the Mustang. Who would know better than you of course that you father created that - and what it has evolved to today. That legacy your father bestowed upon the car community, and I'm proud to be a part of that."

Click here for more pics

It started in 1986, when Holly found papers in the attic of her grandma...
Since Holly got a letter of confirmation from Ford (J. Mays) in 2002 based on research ordered by Bill Ford, Holly was invited by a MCA member to present her fathers design - the Mustang I - at the 40th. Anniversary. 

She got a lot of support during this event and could make many more contacts to Mustang historians and genuine Ford people. 

Another Ford letter has surfaced meanwhile that was sent by Jack Telnack (former Vice President Design Studios Ford) to a Jerry Caldwell back in 1994 confirming the design involvement of Phil Clark already. Holly has been in contact with Jack receiving more information in the meantime. 

In August 2005 an article on Hollys efforts appeared in Mustang Monthly that was written quite some years ago in fact.

Since then she could make a lot more contacts to genuine designers and colleagues of her father plus found out more and more details. At any event she met more genuine people who were willing to support her.  
Ford's own historian sent another letter in 2006 reconfirming her that Ford  is  backing her up in her research and interested in the case.

 

Review of previous shows
The weekend of 2nd/3rd July 2005 was hers! Holly Clark hosted the Phil Clark Mustang Stampede in Rusk/Texas.
Although the weather did not really match typical car show expectations, it was a great day to enjoy for everybody paying tribute to the Man behind the Pony. And in fact the rain was very much needed in Texas, since they suffered a long time drought.


We hope Holly will succeed in her continous efforts to get the work of her father respected in the generations to follow and will keep you updated on any further news together with www.nzmustangs.com and www.muscularmustangs.com

Anybody, who wants to support Holly on her way, is very much welcome to join us or much better buy one of her books or original Clark designs for your Mustang collection.

Spread the word about one of the most influencing and long forgotten designer of the late 60ies, so that he get's his place in the history books forever. 

Adressing the press and webzines:
Join these publications in their effort to support the case:

 The word for Mustang history rewriting is spread out  ..on Blue Oval News/Stangsunleashed.com 15.December 2005See here more will be online soon in January 2006.

...and on on the front cover of this mag http://www.jacksonvilleprogress.com/articles/2005/11/24/news/news01.txt 

Coming soon:
August 2006 Mustang Monthly

  Holly Clark finally realized in late 2005 the dream of her life - an all new Mustang 2006 and all HER's.
Though we thought Ford Motor Company would foresee a decent PR opportunity in handing over a Mustang V to the daughter of the Mustang I designer finally  Holly had to pull her own chequebook and do the PR herself. Bob Francis gets the merit of making her wish come true with a reasonable pricing scheme.
Finally she has to sell it to finance her books. 

  Read actual News on 2TheAdvocate.com