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Number: 0733
From: cigarsandy
Date: Fri Mar 22, 2002  8:16 am
Subject: "Silver Anniversary asc/McLaren"

Body:
1990 marked a special event in the history of BOTH the Ford Mustang
and American Sunroof Corporation (ASC). ASC was begun by Heinz
Prechter in 1965 out of a small 1-car shop in California. The Ford
Mustang debuted also the same year. In 1990, both celebrated their
Silver Anniversary of 25 years. To mark the event, asc/McLaren
announced at the very beginning of the 1990 model-year (September
1989) that at mid-year (February 1990) they would bring out a "Silver
Anniversary asc/McLaren". The optional cost was $300.00 MSRLP and
$253.00 on dealer invoice. The car had to be ordered in "Sterling
Silver Metallic" (code FA87:SS) which was actually 1985 Merkur XR4Ti
color of "Silver Metallic" code 0V. Any released interior was to be
used, meaning "Scarlet"; "Crystal Blue" & "Shadow Blue"; "Light &
Medium Titanium Gray"; Ebony Black (new for 1990) or "Oxford White"
(new for 1990). The Oxford white came with the same grey carpeting
as came with the cars with the grey interior, as well as the grey
center
console, and grey door panels with matching "Oxford White" center
panel appliques, on the door panels. However, what made them special
was the convertible roof. A unique color was made, called "Aresma
Silver". Therefore the car was to be silver with a silver
convertible top, and any of the 5 released interior colors. The plan
called for 25 units to be made, one for each year of asc's existance
and likewise one for each year of the Mustang's existance. Further,
the plan called for 5 units bearing each interior color scheme, or
5x5=25. 5 with red, 5 with blue, 5 with grey, 5 with black and 5
with white interiors. There were no other special features, likewise
no
exterior or interior special nameplates nor emblems, just the roof
color was unique.
Well, somehow Ford Motor Company got wind of this and shipped off
quite a strong letter to asc in no uncertain terms letting them know
that NOBODY speaks for Ford, and that they cannot produce a product
celebrating any anniversary pertaining to the Ford Motor Company.
asc tried to explain that they were celebrating their own 25th
anniversary in business. Then Ford explained that they could NOT
celebrate their OWN anniversary with a a Ford Product! Within days a
represenative from Ford arrived at Autry Avenue asc/McLaren plant in
Livonia, Michigan to witness the destruction of 25 "Aresma Silver"
convertible roofs, under their careful eye. Thusly died the Silver
Anniversary asc/McLaren. There were seven (7) "Sterling Silver
Metallic" 1990 asc/McLarens made, but they all had either the Black,
Atlantic Blue or Burgundy roofs. I have a actual sample piece of
the "Aresma Silver" convertible top, of 5" by 8". That site posted
here for Cabrio World (http://www.cabrioworld.com) showed that they
have this color roof for the asc/McLaren. It's called (by them)
Graphite, and can be found under one of their samples. It appears
as a very light smoke grey. It's identical to my sample. Therefore,
anyone who has one of those 7 1990s in silver, could order this top,
and make a backyard Silver Anniversary model. The 25 "Silver
Anniversary" cars were to be the final 25 cars AFTER regular
production had stopped, meaning they would have been built in
July/August of 1990. Two examples were to go to each of the "Top
Dozen" asc/McLaren dealers in America. Namely these were:
Board Ford of Whitter, Calif
Ft. Lauderdale Lincoln Mercury, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Jim Click Ford, Irvine, Calif.
Lutz Ford of Palo Alto, Calif.
Manhattan Lincoln-Mercury of Manhattan, N.Y.C.
McCafferty Ford of Langhorne, Pa.
Pacifico Ford of Phila., Pa.
Peyton-Cramer Ford of Los Angeles, Calif.
Park Inn Ford, address unknown
Sam Lingard Ford, address unknown
Bill Wallace Ford, address unknown
Courtesy Ford, Oregon
and the 25th car was to go to Heinz Precter.
Too Bad....