How Ponysite.de Became the Digital Archive for Europe’s Mustang Fans
Introduction
I’ve spent countless nights reading the stories on Ponysite.de. I had never met Wolfgang Kohrn before, and I don’t think he truly knows how much he influenced the birth of MustangMania.it—until he reads these lines.
I believe that those who hold knowledge have a responsibility: to inspire future generations to study, discover, and dig deeper. For me,
Ponysite.de was all of this. The passion that poured from Wolfgang’s words, written in his spare time, passed on to me like a torch. Without his incredible effort and documentation, many of these Mustang stories would have been lost forever.
I can only hope to be worthy of continuing this mission—collecting and sharing Mustang stories—albeit with different tools and a new digital language.
Getting the chance to interview one of my biggest inspirations, even if we only planned a 30-minute call that turned into hours, was something special. Passion has that power: it connects people of different ages, backgrounds, and experiences through a car that left a mark on both our lives. I truly hope to make a video interview with him, in person, in the nearby future.
1. Personal Journey
How did your passion for the Ford Mustang begin? Was there a specific moment or experience that made you realize the Mustang would become such an important part of your life?
In 1964, I was just five years old, so I wasn’t really aware of a new type of car entering the market—or at least I don’t remember it clearly. But at some point, Mustangs started appearing in my kindergarten and school notebook sketches. I initially drew the Corvette Mako Shark because I liked its flowing lines, then Cobras, and eventually I got tired of drawing the same shapes. That’s when I turned to Mustangs, especially the Fastbacks—probably around 1966 rather than 1965. Later, I began drawing De Tomasos, Indra Meccanica, and others.
My passion was fueled by visits to car dealerships with my father and brother whenever he had time, even en route to his office. Saturdays were often dedicated to office work, so we kids played there with Matchbox cars. I also remember being in London in 1969 to witness the moon landing—an event that left a huge impression on us and cemented America’s pioneering image in my young mind. That moment may have triggered my broader interest in the U.S.
Cars ran in the family. My grandfather was a salesman and later a representative for fire extinguishers starting in the 1940s, which provided steady income even after the war. As a result, there were always new Mercedes—170s, 180s, 190s, 200s, and 220s—parked in front of our house during the ’50s and ’60s.
Wolfgang’s Father Car
My mother worked as a clerk for the British Army and needed a car, so she eventually got a BMW Isetta. My father, on the other hand, drove sportier cars like the Opel Commodore GS/E. I remember we once considered buying a Maserati SM, but then a colleague of my father’s, who was traveling to the U.S., offered to bring back a 1970 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet. My father actually wanted a red 1971 Mach 1 with the larger body style, and that’s exactly what his colleague bought for him—a red Mach 1, although it came with a 302 engine and automatic transmission. It wasn’t a performance car, but it looked like one. That was the moment everything changed for me—I was 11, and the Mustang had captured my imagination.
When the Bond movie featuring a Mustang aired more frequently, we used to drive up to the cinema just as the film ended, cruising as the audience exited. People would cheer and wave—it made a huge impression on me. I remember begging to be dropped off at school in the Mach 1, and that happened two or three times that year.
Sadly, my father passed away from cancer in 1972, and we had to sell the car to some friends. They later told us it was involved in an accident and ended up in a local scrapyard. I tried to trace it, but the VIN never turned up.
A local dealership called “Auto Becker” played a big role in my automotive education. It was one of the most prestigious used car dealers in Germany, known for luxury and powerful vehicles—Cobras, Stutz Blackhawks, Ferraris, Rolls-Royces. Their multi-level showroom featured a dedicated section for American muscle cars. It was like a dreamland. The Vector W2 on display was a personal highlight.
After our father’s death, my brother started making Pony emblems out of tin in 1972. We attached them to the grilles of every car we drove—our Renaults, my Fiestas, even a BMW 323.
We nearly bought a local white 1971 Mach 1 in 1982, but backed out at the last moment. My brother shifted focus to British classics like MGs and Triumphs. I, however, was determined to get my own Mustang.
Finally, in 1992, I had a day off and decided to visit a few cars I found in classified ads. The first one was a 1968 Fastback in Wiesbaden, about 200 km away. It had little info in the ad, but the trip along the Rhine was beautiful. When I arrived, the seller struggled to start it. Eventually, the car rumbled out of the garage—low in the front, high in the rear, fat tires in back, and in my favorite color: dark blue metallic.
We went for a wild ride through the neighborhood, and though he didn’t know it yet, I had already made up my mind. The carbs were a mess, but he promised to fix them. He was a Chevy guy anyway—wanted another ’55 Bel Air. He included a cellar full of Ford parts in the deal, and I agreed to the asking price. A week later, I picked it up. The issues were resolved with a new Holley carb installed by Hubraum Heaven, and it ran like a dream.
That car has stayed with me for over three decades. It’s still running beautifully, needing only minor tune-ups—never any major part replacements. That’s a pretty good track record for a classic.
2. Creation and Development of Ponysite.de
What inspired you to create Ponysite.de? What was your original goal for the website? Looking back, what moment or achievement related to Ponysite.de makes you the proudest?
In 1992, I transitioned from advertising and marketing into the exhibition sector. That shift took me away from content creation for corporate publications, although I still handled newsletters and a bit of web work. I wanted to learn about web development from the ground up, and launching a personal website seemed like the perfect testbed.
Since I owned a 1968 Mustang, I started digging into its history. I discovered, from the buck tag, that it was a T-5—an export model built for West Germany. At the time, there was very little information online. I came across Tom Schmidt’s link page, Mustangsandmore.com, and the Vintage Mustang Forum. Eventually, I connected with Gary Hanson, who was running the T-5 Registry. We started exchanging letters, and he was thrilled to have a contact in Europe, as his registry was mostly U.S.-based. We’ve collaborated ever since, and I’ve hosted much of the T-5 documentation on our club’s website. We’ve met multiple times both in Europe and the U.S., and Gary will be visiting again in May 2025. Our 30-year friendship was born from that shared interest.
Wolfgang’s ’68 Fastback
Owning a 1968 Fastback naturally led me into the world of movie Mustangs, especially Bullitt. At that time, only one website covered the topic, and it eventually disappeared. I got in touch with Dave Kunz, who had bought his DHG 1968 Fastback in 1992. We decided to collaborate—he contributed a wealth of material, and I built a site around his research. Later, Anthony Bologna, an eyewitness to the Bullitt filming, joined the project. We worked closely together for years, even though we’ve never met in person. I still maintain the website and am proud to have helped preserve the mystique around the Bullitt car, even after learning where it was stored and acquiring early photos of it in that barn. The hunt for “lost” Mustangs has always fascinated me—along with the personal stories of owners.
I’ll admit I’m not a technical expert when it comes to parts or assemblies. I’ve only ever worked on the basics—starters, suspension, etc.—leaving most of the work to garages. Unfortunately, only a few did a good job. Still, my car was and remains a driver. Over the last 33 years, I’ve put about 60,000 miles on it. Not much, perhaps, but it spent three years in the shop for front frame repair and another year total in various garages. Even so, it’s been 99% reliable.
Ponysite.de grew quickly and became a sort of lighthouse for stories and contacts. From 1995 to 2020, it also served my voluntary role as Mustang Club Editor for the FMCOG. Through the site, I connected with fellow enthusiasts like David Turnbull of PonyDrive.us—I even joined the final miles of his journey before the 40th Anniversary. My job also allowed me to travel across Europe and meet club members in their home countries, where they often introduced me to other collectors. I got to see rare cars tucked away in underground garages and even in Norwegian bunkers—Cobra Jet convertibles in Spain, a 1968 “W-code” (not really) in Switzerland, a 1969 T-5 SCJ in Norway, ARI pace cars, GT40s, K-codes, Shelbys, and more. I also met Steve Francis, who had a massive Trans-Am archive, and D. Petersen for A/S material. The site became a hub—not just for finding info, but for sharing it.
The goal of Ponysite.de has always been to connect people. Some visitors were looking for information; others just wanted their stories documented. For about 20 years—from the late ‘90s through 2015—it worked beautifully. But then, the internet changed. Websites and forums exploded. Content got copied, altered, misattributed. It’s now harder to get facts straight. Social media, with its rapid pace, doesn’t lend itself well to archival work. I’ve mostly avoided platforms like Instagram or Facebook, which now cater to an older audience.
Alongside Ponysite, I co-founded mustang-inside.de with a friend in the late ‘90s—first hosted on a free platform, then moved to a proper server. We still moderate it, though response times today are expected to be under four hours—times have changed.
Pic courtesy Holly Clark
A significant chapter of Ponysite’s journey involves the Mustang origin story, especially the Mustang I prototype and the contribution of Phil Clark. When I first connected with his daughter, Holly Clark, almost no one believed her claims that her father was the mind behind the Pony emblem and the Mustang I. But she sent photo after photo from her grandmother’s attic—sketches, notes, and proofs. With my background and connection to the Mustang symbol, I felt compelled to support her. Her story eventually got recognition. Ford’s J Mays officially confirmed Phil Clark’s role at Advanced Design. That was a breakthrough moment.
In 2017, I helped organize a joint booth for Ponysite, PonyDrive, and Holly Clark at the Mustang 40th Anniversary. It was a huge success. That year, we also recreated the Bullitt chase scene with a 1968 Charger and Mustang Fastback, right before the original Bullitt car reappeared in 2018.
Wolfgang with Ford Designer Jack Telnack at the Charlotte 2014 50th Anniv.
Throughout my Mustang journey, I’ve connected with icons like Jack Telnack, Roy Lunn, Art Hyde, John Clor, and even Alan Mann. After a few phone calls with Mann, he returned to racing, and I met him again at Goodwood. I also visited his sons at Fairoaks Airport in 2017.
I’ve attended three Mustang anniversaries in the U.S. (40th, 45th, 50th), explored wrecking yards during my honeymoon around Vegas and L.A., and visited the Bowden collection in Australia. Their gift of the Moffat Boss book was one of the most meaningful surprises of this journey.
I’ve worked with people like Howard Pardee, Rick Kopec, Greg Kolasa, and Kevin Marti—who kindly looked up VINs for two decades before it became overwhelming. Others, like Guillaume Vesnat of the French club, inspired me as a writer. Editors from across the globe formed an informal network of exchange. Without these connections, Ponysite.de wouldn’t have survived.
To all those Mustang “maniacs” who contributed: thank you. If I forgot someone, please forgive me. I only had a few bad experiences—too few to mention. My plan is to maintain Ponysite for at least 35 years. Content updates are now slower—every two months or so—but I’m still contributing stories to SAAC, FordPerformance.com, and most recently, MCA Times.
3. The Evolution of the Mustang Community
How have you seen the Mustang world evolve in Europe over the years? In your opinion, which Mustang model or generation best represents the true spirit of the car? How do you see the future of the Mustang in Europe, especially with the transition toward electric vehicles?
To be honest, things have gone a bit too far. The 800-horsepower variants and electric Mustangs stray far from the original idea of an affordable, accessible sports car. The Mustang was once a simple hardtop—often a six-cylinder base model—that almost anyone could buy. That spirit is missing now.
If there’s a future for the Mustang in Europe, I think it lies in downsizing—both in terms of size and cost. We need a modern reinterpretation of the 1965 Mustang: a stylish, practical car with three body styles (hardtop, fastback, convertible), built perhaps on a Puma chassis but with stronger structural integrity. The Fiat 500 proved it’s possible. A Mustang revival, even slightly reshaped, could succeed.
The current electric market lacks true strategic sustainability. Battery lifecycle concerns are still unresolved—recycling, environmental impact, and safety all remain problematic. I’m not saying combustion engines are the solution, but many viable alternatives are being ignored because of political and corporate inertia. And let’s be honest—a silent Mustang loses one of its core traits. It’s supposed to roar, not whisper.
I believe the Mustang still has a future, but the current strategy—focused on power and excess—needs a reboot. Today’s cars all look the same. The uniqueness is gone. Where are the new Mustangs, Miuras, Countachs, Stratoses? We need excitement, style, personalization—not just high-speed performance, but real presence and emotional connection. The original Mustang demanded respect. The current E-Mustang doesn’t, at least not within the Ford enthusiast community.
The community itself has changed. Modern Mustangs attract a more performance-driven crowd, focused on speed and aesthetics. At a Mustang 6G event I attended, I only felt at home among the 25-30 vintage cars—less so among the 900 modern ones. That ratio shifts the entire atmosphere. Classic Mustang meets still exist, but the inclusion of newer models hasn’t always been handled well, perhaps due to Ford’s own marketing tone. The Mustang no longer feels like a family car—it feels corporate, segmented.
Communities are increasingly fragmented. Older enthusiasts aren’t interested in chip-tuning or synthetic soundtracks. At that event, I heard amazing engine notes from vintage Mustangs—true mechanical soul—but only two or three interesting tones from modern ones. They just didn’t draw me in. Mixing these two worlds is difficult.
Good luck to the European Mustang Clubs Association. I hope Ford one day builds a smaller, purer Mustang—one that honors the original specs and makes people turn their heads again.
Questo post è disponibile anche in: 
Inglese
