The Smoky Mountain Classic Thunderbird Club of Knoxville will host the Mockingbird Run III in Chattanooga May 13-15 to encourage classic car owners to start a local chapter.
"There are an awful lot of Thunderbird owners in the Tennessee area and we wanted to bring them together in a social, fun environment so they can enjoy each other," said Perry Anthony, a Knoxville resident and director for the Classic Thunderbird Club International. "There is not a chapter at this point in the Chattanooga area. What we'd really hope to do is identify the people who own Thunderbirds in Chattanooga and assist them in getting a club started."
Owners of 1955-1957 Ford Thunderbirds will visit Chattanooga for the Smoky Mountain Classic Thunderbird Club of Knoxville's Mockingbird Run III event May 13-15.The Mockingbird Run III will bring 90 Thunderbird owners and enthusiasts from 10 different states. The participants will stay at the Chattanooga Choo Choo and tour the area in their iconic vehicles. Anthony said they plan to travel to local sites like the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum. They will also cruise to Dunlap to see the Coke Ovens Museum.
Anthony said a good time for residents to view the unique cars will be during a parade drive from the Chattanooga Choo Choo to Coker Tire May 13 at 3:45 p.m. The Chattanooga Police Department will provide an escort for safety and to help control traffic.
"Chattanooga, quite frankly, has so much to offer," Anthony said. "There are so many things in the area to see and do."
Anthony said the events and clubs are about fun and friendship and that members try to keep all gatherings light-hearted. Throughout the event they will host gymkhana judging competitions, where designated participants make up spirited, fun categories - finding the car with the most bugs on the windshield or who has the most accurate clock.
Though the Mockingbird Run III has no more room for additional participants, Anthony encourages local Thunderbird owners ask questions and see what the club is all about.
"These Thunderbirds are pretty scarce," Anthony said. "They only made them for three years. They only made 53,166 of them. We believe 60 or 70 percent are still on the road, primarily because an international club was started very, very soon after their introduction to the public which preserved a lot of interest in them."
For more information contact Perry Anthony at (865) 360-7724.