‘Ghost Pony’ returns to Kenerlys

Rowan County District Attorney Bill Kenerly prepares to leave work for the in his 1967 Ford Mustang. Kenerly is retiring his post at DA after serving 20 years. He purchased the Mustang new in 1967 and after 3 years sold it off as his family out grew it. Kenerly's named was still on the owners manuel that was in the car. The last owner made contact and soon the car came back home to the Kenerlys.

By Mark Wineka

mwineka@salisburypost.com

Back in June 1967, Bill and Toni Kenerly bought their first car together — a new Ford Mustang.

They enjoyed their sporty ride for about two-and-a half years. They even brought their first child, Bill Jr., home from the hospital in the Mustang.

But they decided with a new family they needed something bigger and more practical. In January 1970, the Kenerlys traded in the Mustang at the Ford dealership in downtown Salisbury.

Years later, a friend Toni knew from her nursing job asked whether her husband’s name was William.

It turns out, the man had owned this same Mustang since 1972. His children had driven it to high school, and for the past 10 years it had been sitting in a barn, he told Toni.

Now he was having someone help him in reconditioning the car.

The man knew of the Kenerly connection because Bill’s name was still on the owner’s manual in the glove box.

If he ever wanted to sell that Mustang, Toni told the man, contact her first.

Time passed, and Toni’s friend eventually said he was ready to sell the car.

Given the amount of time that had passed, Bill — Rowan County’s district attorney — figured the car was “ragged out.” But on Memorial Day 2009, the Kenerlys drove to the man’s house and took a look.

“As soon as I saw it, I was hooked,” Kenerly said of seeing his old friend.

The car was operable when the Kenerlys repurchased it. Since then, the motor has been rebuilt, and Bill has had a fair amount of work done inside and out.

The hardtop Mustang coupe sports its original creamy white color on the outside and a red interior. The radio remains in the dashboard, but the car still has no air-conditioning.

But Kenerly can live with that. The 6-cylinder motor depends on a three-speed, floor-shift transmission.

The thing most puzzling to Kenerly is that the Mustang was being driven in Rowan County all those years, and he never saw it or recognized it anywhere.

The family has been calling the car “the Ghost Pony,” partly because of its color and partly because of its history.

Kenerly hopes to drive it more now that’s he’s retiring at the end of this month.

How does the district attorney protect his vintage Mustang?

“I went out and bought a Club,” he says, laughing, but there it is, bolted to the steering wheel.

The DA is tough on crime.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.