Ford Restores Beloved Mustang Dad Had Sold To Help Pay for Wife's Medical Bills
Jake and Jeni Ryan were just kids when they watched their father sell his beloved 1993 Mustang GT.
Though they were young, the siblings understood that their father, Wesley Ryan, sold the car because his wife and the kids’ mother, Laura, had ovarian cancer.
The Ryan family needed the money for medical bills, and while Wesley loved his Mustang, he loved his wife much more.
“I know how much it broke him in half seeing that car drive away from him,” Jake said, according to Today. “A day I’ll never forget.”
Fast-forward to 2018 when Jake, now a young adult, was searching on Craigslist and saw a white 1993 Mustang GT for sale, ABC reported.
When he learned that the vehicle for sale had the exact same VIN number as the vehicle his father had sold, Jake knew he had to buy it back.
Jake and Jeni pitched in to purchase the car from the seller in Kyle, Texas, and bring it back to their home in San Antonio, Texas.
Jake recorded the moment he and his sister surprised their father with his beloved muscle car, affectionately known as “Christine.”
The reunion was heartwarming and unforgettable for Wesley and his family. Tears fell from his face as he embraced his children and his wife, who has been cancer-free for years now.
“To see his face and emotion made it all worth it,” Jake said, according to Today.
Jake posted the video online, and soon, the Ryan family found themselves in the local spotlight. Their story reached the eyes and ears of leaders at the Texas-based Hennessey Performance Engineering company, who wanted to take the inspirational story to another level.
According to my SA, Hennessey Performance approached Ford Motor Company about partnering together to restore the 1993 Mustang GT.
Soon, Wesley found himself saying goodbye to Christine for a second time, under very different circumstances, as the car left for the $200,000 restoration project — compliments of Hennesy Performance and Ford Motor Company.
The Ryan family was invited to the Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, to meet the new Christine, who looked very much like her youthful self, with the beefy addition of a new 2018 Coyote 5L engine.
Wesley could not hold back the tears as he approached his vehicle, with Laura and the kids by his side.
“It’s still her, but she’s got a new heart,” an emotional Wesley said. “I don’t know, I’m at a loss for words. It’s beautiful.”
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