On the showroom floor of Lade Ford in Frankston, Texas, an incredible Mach 1 Mustang is on display. The car has been passed down to Jeremy Lade from his father, James Lade, Jr. On the 50th anniversary of Lade Ford’s partnership with Ford Motor Credit Company, Jeremy proudly shares the story of this one-of-a-kind treasure.
Around 1969, Jeremy’s dad (James William Lade, Jr.) remembers accompanying his dad, James William Lade, Sr., and his mother to a Ford event in Colorado where new vehicle models were revealed to Ford dealers from around the country. James, Jr. was 17 at the time. James recalled the moment at the event when the curtain rose to reveal a red Mach 1 fastback Mustang on the turntable, with fog (from dry ice) coming from underneath the car to make it look even cooler! James, Jr. leaned over to his mom and told her he was going to get a car like that one day.
And he did … James, Jr. ordered his 1969 Mach 1 Mustang just the way he wanted it, including a 428 cubic inch cobra jet engine. He changed a few things on the car that made it his own. He painted the decklid like the Boss series Mustangs, added a spoiler, and bought wheels from Shelby that they put on the GT500. (He worked hard, hauling hay for three summers to pay it off!)
Unlike most of us, James never sold his high school car. His car is unrestored or a “survivor” car. It is not perfect but is just like he had it, complete with a case of eight track tapes in the rear seat. Upon his passing, James left his Mach 1 to his son, Jeremy, who is the current owner/operator of Lade Ford, where it is prominently displayed on the showroom floor. A year after his dad passed, Jeremy ordered a report from Marti Auto Works. The Marti report indicates how many cars were built with particular options during a model year. According to the Marti report, James Lade’s 1969 red Mach 1 is the only car ever built the way it was built … a “one of one” car. Jeremy also has no intention of parting with the Mustang and will pass it down to the next generation of Lades.
Photos courtesy Palestine Herald-Press.
