Reno Mustang Car Club: Roaming the Range for 36 Years

Located in a high desert at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Reno, Nevada, and the surrounding area is home to herds of wild mustangs that race across the open range.

It’s no wonder that “The Biggest Little City in the World” is also home to the Reno Mustang Car Club, a group of enthusiasts who celebrate the power and style of Ford’s iconic pony car, which shares its name with these majestic animals that roamed the land long before the first one thundered down U.S. 40.

For the last 36 years, the Reno Mustang Car Club has been devoted to keeping the legacy of the Mustang alive and kicking, while raising thousands of dollars for local charities. On Saturday, June 2, the club will host its annual Rockin’ Street Hop Car Show, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Tamarack Junction Casino, 13101 South Virginia Street in Reno.

Sponsored by Summit Racing, the show is open to all years, makes, and models of cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and anything else with wheels. Registration is $20. There will be awards in a number of categories, including Best Ford/GM/Mopar, plus classic and late model Mustang. There will also be food, games, music, and a raffle. Admission is free for spectators.

“Every year in June our club puts on a car show with all proceeds benefiting local charities like Make-a-Wish, Special Olympics, Committee to Aid Abused Women, Nevada Honor Flight, Nevada Veterans Guest House, Wounded Warriors Family Support, and this year, Washoe County Meals on Wheels for Seniors,” says Cindy LaVan, club publicity chairman.

The club formed in 1982 under the name “Sierra Mustang Club” (in affiliation with a Sacramento, CA, club) and officially became the Reno Mustang Car Club seven years later. Originally the club was only open to classic Mustangs, but has been open to owners of all Mustangs since 2005.

“Currently there are 88 members with Mustangs ranging from 1964 ½ through 2018,” LaVan says. “Coupes, convertibles, fastbacks, GT 350s and 500s, and Shelbys. Adding these newer vehicles has truly grown our family.”

Members of the club provide proof that owning a Mustang isn’t a passing interest, it’s a lifelong passion. Cindy’s husband, John, still owns the springtime yellow 1967 Mustang GT fastback he ordered while in the Navy in 1966. It’s been a trusted part of the family, serving as transportation to bring the couple’s two daughters home from the hospital and most recently, racing at the 2018 Shelby Bash in Las Vegas. Von Clemence and his wife, Kathleen, still cruise in the 1970 dark green Mustang fastback they purchased almost 50 years ago.

“Many of our members fell in love with their Mustang the moment they saw it,” LaVan explains. “Some have kept their older models and purchased newer models as well.”

In addition to hosting its annual charity car show, the club meets monthly and participates in different activities throughout the year. These include Hot August Nights; coffee clatches; a Lake Tahoe cruise and picnic; visiting senior living centers; delivering food boxes to military personnel and food banks; and driving their Mustangs in local Christmas, 4th of July, and Veterans Day parades.

“The best part of being in this club is having something important in common. Our Mustangs are our passports to being with our friends and family,” LaVan says.

For more information about the Reno Mustang Car Club or if you’d like to join, visit the group’s website at renomustangcarclub.com.