Pittsburgh gears up for Vintage Grand Prix
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With 760 horsepower, the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 sounded like one fierce animal when it fired up Wednesday in Market Square to help celebrate the 37th Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.
The event takes place this weekend in Schenley Park.
Paul Bucet, Ford’s regional manager for sales and service, described it as “the most powerful production vehicle we’ve ever built at Ford Motor Company.” In addition, Ford bills the new Mustang’s engine as the world’s most power-dense supercharged production V-8.
From the way it sounded Wednesday, when Ford’s performance marketing manager Jim Owens started it, there’s no reason to doubt the assertion.
The Vintage Grand Prix itself is a powerful economic engine for the city, SportsPITTSBURGH Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins said.
About $14.4 million in direct spending is generated over the course of 10 days’ worth of events, Hawkins said, and the grand prix is an event unique to Pittsburgh that’s promoted to outsiders.
“We’re the only city in the U.S. that races vintage cars through city streets,” Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Executive Director Dan DelBianco said.
Mustangs are the Marque — featured make — this year. Along with the new model, a 1965 Shelby GT350 owned by Jason Uhler of McCandless is also being celebrated this year.
Uhler’s car is this year’s poster car.
“This is the best car event in Western Pennsylvania for sure – maybe all of Pennsylvania,” Uhler previously told the Trib. “Where else can you see 3,000 cars displayed on a golf course – and more cars racing all around you? And a lot of these cars don’t come to local car cruises; they’re unique to the Vintage Grand Prix.”