Celebrating the 4th with American muscle

As the country wakes up today with thoughts BBQs, parades and fireworks, one man hoped to make more of a patriotic statement this Fourth of July as he’s celebrating his 80th birthday.

So, with visions of red, white and blue in his head, Kaywin Martin decided to celebrate his birthday – and America – with some American muscle.

Martin, an Illinois native and current resident of Florida, surprised his three children with 2019 Ford Mustang GT Convertibles – in red, white and blue, of course.

“This is a very patriotic time of year, between Memorial Day, the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the 4th of July holiday, so I thought it was fitting to commemorate my 80th birthday in a patriotic way,” said Martin. “We’re celebrating America with an American icon.”

To unveil his gift, Martin organized a gathering of friends and family at the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum in Auburn, Indiana.

Martin, who has owned more than 20 Mustangs – including a 1965 red convertible – spent his entire career working for Ford Motor Co., and developed a passion for classic Ford vehicles.

The Mustang GT comes equipped with 5.0-liter V-8 engine that delivers 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. In addition to Race Red, Kona Blue and Oxford White, the 2019 Mustang has seven other available racy colors – including Need for Green, Orange Fury and Velocity Blue.

Base price for the Mustang GT Convertible is $45,950.