“Priceless.”

For North Carolinians Richie and Carolyn Mashburn, the word on the license plate of their ’69 Mach 1 carries a much deeper meaning than a monetary value. It’s their history.

“Carolyn and I have been married 35 years,” Richie said. “We met in high school in 1979 when she was 16 and I was 17.”

Carolyn’s dad was a deep-rooted Ford man from the late ’40s and had purchased the ’69 Mach 1 in January 1970. Richie, a Ford guy since older brother and sisters had Mustangs, had just purchased a ’66 coupe.

“That’s sort of how we got together,” he said.

Richie and Carolyn Mashburn’s ’69 Mach 1 has always been part of the family.

Originally, the Mach 1 was Carolyn’s Moms car to drive. But, with no power steering, it spent more time in park than it did on the road. Carolyn’s dad John had an idea.

“She could drive the Mach 1 back and forth to school and to her part-time job and when she graduated high school, he would sign the Mach 1 over to her,” Richie explained.

True to his word, in 1982 as promised, her father signed it over to Carolyn.

“We were married in August,” Richie said with a smile. “She was 19 and I was 20.”

Following a 10-year restoration, the Mashburn’s Mach 1 earned a well-deserved MCA Conservator class designation.

In 1986, the Mashburns brought home their oldest daughter from the hospital in the Mach.

“Later that year we decided to take it off the road and get more involved with the Mustang Club of America,” Richie said.

As many burgeoning families experience, the planned restoration would be slowed several times due to necessities such as sports, cheerleading, and school activities. During that time the Mashburns learned more about the Mach 1, studied the MCA rulebook and completed a 10-year restoration.

“In 2010 we finally garnered enough points with Gold Awards to retire the Mach 1 in active competition into the ‘well-deserved’ MCA Conservator class,” they explained. “We worked hard over the years to get it there and it took longer than expected, but that was our end goal.”

The Next Chapter

Today the parents of two daughters and grandparents of four have their choice between the ’69 Mach 1; a 289, deluxe-interior’67 Mustang that Carolyn’s dad purchased the year they met; and a 2016 Mustang GT premium.

“We now show the ’67 and the Mach 1 in Carolyn’s Mom and Dad’s honor at local shows” said Richie. “As two of the original six founders of The Blue Ridge Mustang Club of Asheville, North Carolina, we show in the MCA Conservator class in their honor as well.”

When asked about their car’s histories, Carolyn has a personal moment and said, “Both of these Mustangs are part of my childhood and my parents. They will stay with me and my husband until it’s time to pass them down to our kids and grandkids.”

After sitting under a willow tree for years, this ’67 coupe received a full restoration from Carolyn’s father.

Like many, the Mashburns look back fondly on these cars and their place in their family history.

“We really enjoy driving our classic Mustangs because they just take you back to those days. Nothing really compares,” Richie said.

“Our classics are, by far, not trailer queens” Carolyn added. “We drive and enjoy them!”

With nearly four decades of shared experiences together, the Mashburns agree that when it comes to classic-car ownership, joining a club or online forum is the only way to go.

“You wouldn’t believe the knowledge out there about any of the muscle cars, whether it’s a Ford, GM, Mopar, etc” Richie said. Valuable insight from a couple who has made the hobby part of the family for years. Priceless really.

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