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Ford And The Rock Give A New Mustang To A Deserving Veteran: Video

By all means, Ford Motor Company could have introduced the refreshed, 2018 Ford Mustang in the normal way, hosting a press conference at the 2017 North American International Auto Show complete with loud, hype-building music and flashing lights.

Instead, Ford decided to do something a bit more meaningful, unveiling the facelifted 2018 Mustang by teaming up with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to surprise an Iraq War veteran by the name of Marlene Rodriquez with an early example of the new car.

Ms. Rodriguez served three tours, surviving two encounters with IEDs, and receiving a Purple Heart after suffering a severe traumatic brain injury during the second. “I wanted to stay in,” she says, “but I don’t think it was going to happen.” Ford invited her out to Detroit to receive a Ford “Go Further” award for her service.

What Marlene didn’t know, however, was that she would be receiving the award from Dwayne Johnson, of whom she is a fan. Nor did she have any inkling that along with the award, she would also be given the keys to a new, 2018 Ford Mustang GT.

The video above is tremendously moving, and we’re having a hard time picturing a better, more significant way to debut a new car. We recommend keeping your box of tissues close.

Aaron Brzozowski is a writer and motoring enthusiast from Detroit with an affinity for '80s German steel. He is not active on the Twitter these days, but you may send him a courier pigeon.

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  1. Todd Michael Prichard

    I’ve been a Ford truck fan all my childhood and adult life there’s nothing I’d like more then to be able to attend that ford technician school I was finally able about the beginning of this pandemic COVID 19 to get a Ford F150 xlt it is a 1999 model with a 5.4 llt engine and the longest bed option available but it has a 6in lift kit on it. From VA tech it had 128000 Mike’s on it when I got it for 5000 usd$ I currently want to be able to do major mantainance on it don’t will last a wile like the timing chain and the variable finding sensors and the front ball joints need replacing just that I’m uemployed I’m 51 years old and want a job but with my past record it makes it next to impossible to Get employed meaningfully I cangeneraly fix about anything when I put my mind to it I just don’t have the financial resources for the parts or the factory workshop manual witch immamferm belieaver in having if you work on any vehicle you GOTA havE it a Haynes or Chilton’s is a bad joke but have neither I replaced a couple coils on the engine and most of the plugs it spit on out at a ligHt but. Luckily it didn’t strip the threads and took a new one would love to be able to become a tech
    Notion from Ford would be the last job I ever got I’d be there every day on time and try and stay there till i retire but nobody cares about an excon gon gOod gUy patriot Ford enthusiast American auto admirerer #1 Ford F15o fan Ford truck fan I dressed up my truck with chrome bull bar and crome side bar runners and a 90000 lume light bar over the top of the wind shield and she looks awsome really good looking strong truck I’m proud of her I’ve wanted one all my life in use her most
    Ly to drive to the south bAy to get my son’s for weekend visits lol we

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