The Old Fort Mustangers became a chartered club in 1979. They held the first Mustang & Ford Show in 1982 in a parking lot at Indiana Auto Auction, continued there for several years, and then moved to Zollner Stadium for a few more. In 1989, the club moved their show to the parking lot of Ivy Tech Fort Wayne’s Coliseum Campus. The show takes place on our campus to this day, with the next one on Saturday, July 20.

“We’ve been with Ivy Tech for 31 years,” says Bob Nicola, Old Fort Mustangers Club Member. “It’s changed throughout the years as Ivy Tech has expanded. I remember at a certain point we had to keep moving to different ends of the campus from year to year because of the Coliseum building expansions and renovations, sometimes on pavement, sometimes on grass.”

The Old Fort Mustangers generously use the yearly money raised at the show to fund a $1,000+ scholarship for deserving Ivy Tech Fort Wayne automotive students. Over the years, they’ve donated more than $30,000 for automotive student scholarships.

There have been 34 students who’ve received scholarships since the inaugural 1989 show, including Christopher Merle, who was hired as a Tesla Service Technician in 2018 and was featured in an Inside Ivy Tech blog in February 2019.

This year, along with the scholarship donation from the Old Fort Mustangers, Marty Palmer, President of Auburn Gear and Ivy Tech Fort Wayne Campus Board of Trustees member, is donating two High Performance Mustang Differentials to raise scholarship funds at the event.

Past Scholarship Recipients

2019 Alexander Doege
2018       Casey Seeman
2017       Christopher Merle
2016       Ron Howard
2015       Eduardo Villalobos
2014       Kendrick Amaya
2013       Nathan Keeslar
2012       Stacie Lancaster
2011       James Kennedy & Marlin Sutherland
2010       Joseph A. Lauer
2009       Kevin D. Gensic
2008       Chad M. Hinton
2007       Troy G. Shank
2006       David Grocock
2005       Audra Hoevel
2004       Tonia Stibble & Joe Allen
2003       Kisha Brooks & Brandon Hernandez
2002       Todd Benschneider
2001       Marcus Eash & Steve Filipiak
2000       Grant Cowan
1999       Paul Kessens
1998       Chris Cartwright
1997       Donald Yeoman
1996       Jeffery Lovejoy
1995       Steve McNally
1994       Brad Evans
1993       Brett Shuler
1992       Mark Tester
1991       Judy Rogers
1990       Eileen Marks
1989       Jeffery Lude Alexander Doege 2019
2018       Casey Seeman
2017       Christopher Merle
2016       Ron Howard
2015       Eduardo Villalobos
2014       Kendrick Amaya
2013       Nathan Keeslar
2012       Stacie Lancaster
2011       James Kennedy & Marlin Sutherland
2010       Joseph A. Lauer
2009       Kevin D. Gensic
2008       Chad M. Hinton
2007       Troy G. Shank
2006       David Grocock
2005       Audra Hoevel
2004       Tonia Stibble & Joe Allen
2003       Kisha Brooks & Brandon Hernandez
2002       Todd Benschneider
2001       Marcus Eash & Steve Filipiak
2000       Grant Cowan
1999       Paul Kessens
1998       Chris Cartwright
1997       Donald Yeoman
1996       Jeffery Lovejoy
1995       Steve McNally
1994       Brad Evans
1993       Brett Shuler
1992       Mark Tester
1991       Judy Rogers
1990       Eileen Marks
1989       Jeffery Lude

Interested in becoming a member of the Old Fort Mustangers? Email Bob Nicola at oldfortmustangers@gmail.com. Want to know more about Ivy Tech Fort Wayne’s Automotive Technology Program? Visit IvyTech.edu/automotive-technology.