Some of us celebrate the 4th of July by grilling and watching fireworks. Others head to the beach or the lakehouse with friends and family. Ford retiree, Kaywin Martin, decided to take his family's celebration up a notch this Independence Day. Martin turned 80 years young just before July 4th and in honor of his (and America's) birthdays, he surprised his three kids with the most patriotic gifts he could think of - three Ford Mustang GT Convertibles in red, white, and blue, of course.
For Martin, the love of automobiles runs in the family. A native of Roanoke, Illinois, Martin's father made his living as a car dealer. Martin followed in his dad's automotive footsteps and spent the entirety of his own career at Ford Motor Co. until his retirement in 1993. While at Ford, he developed a passion for classic Ford vehicles, especially Mustangs. Martin's first Mustang purchase was a 1965 red convertible which started a lifelong love affair with the model.
Many Ford owners are loyal, but does Kaywin Martin's dedication to the brand take the cake? When interviewed about his collection, Martin states matter of factly, "If you poked me, you’d find 'Ford blue' running out of my veins. I’ve had nearly 200 cars in my lifetime, nearly all of which were Fords. I’ve had about 25 Mustangs and I’ve become quite a Mustang fan".
“ If you poked me, you’d find 'Ford blue' running out of my veins. I’ve had nearly 200 cars in my lifetime, nearly all of which were Fords. I’ve had about 25 Mustangs and I’ve become quite a Mustang fan ”Kaywin Martin
Starting in 2011, Martin went on a Mustang buying spree and purchased seven Ford Mustang GTs in seven years. One of these was the 50th-anniversary Mustang which also happened to be a red convertible like his first Mustang.
It's worth noting that Martin's purchases don't always end up in his own garage. As a family man, he is known to share the "Mustang wealth" and has previously gifted eight vehicles to his children and his grandchildren for various milestones.
To commemorate his birthday and the American holiday, Martin decided to give away three more Mustangs, one to each of his three children in the only colors that suited the occasion.
“This is a very patriotic time of year, between Memorial Day, the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the upcoming 4th of July, so I thought it was fitting to commemorate my 80th birthday with a patriotic themed party,” said Martin. “We’re celebrating America with an American icon.”
To make the reveal a grand affair, Martin gathered his family including his children, grandchildren, and brothers at the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum in Auburn, IN. There, the three Mustang GT Convertibles were awaiting Martin's son and two daughters.
Even though this isn't the first time Martin has gifted his children Ford Mustangs, this reveal was a shock to all three. Even Martin's son got emotional after witnessing his dad's latest act of generosity. When asked if he suspected anything, he states "it brought tears to my eyes. It was above and beyond that, he got these for us, and it was a total surprise.”
Martin embodies the American spirit in the loyalty to his family, his country and to an iconic American muscle car. After seeing the reaction of his family to his 4th of July surprise, Martin remarked, “time flies, so I better start thinking about my 90th birthday". We reckon this one may be hard to top, sir.
