Flat Rock, Mich. - Mustang Boss 302s lined the visitor parking lot at AutoAlliance International (AAI) with their hoods up, owners inspecting engines and discussing what parts were new, modified, original and what still needed to be done.  AAI was the initial stop for the first ever Mustang Boss Reunion.  Participants hauled and drove their new and older model Bosses from 30 different states to showcase them at the event.

"It's great to see the old Bosses mixed in with the new ones," said Mike Nyberg of Oxford, Mich.

With the rebirth of the Boss 302 after more than 40 years, Boss enthusiasts were ready to celebrate the new edition and remember the previous models.  About 78 vehicles made it to AAI, including models such as the Boss 302, 351, 429, the 2012 Boss 302 and the special edition 2012 Laguna Seca.  As an added bonus for guests, Larry Ferrin of Ford Racing made a not so subtle appearance when he pulled in revving the engine of a 2012 Mustang Cobra Jet drag racer.

"When I heard about the event and the tour, I knew I wanted to participate and see how the Mustang is built," noted Dan Medice of Pennsylvania. 

Phillip Butts, from Alabama, is the original owner of his yellow Boss 302 that he bought off the showroom floor.  When comparing his 1969 Boss 302 with current Mustang models, he said that his Boss was a great car in its time, but now doesn't even compare to the new models. 

"The new Boss 302 is fantastic," Nyberg agreed.  "I would love to have one."

Nyberg has recreated the yellow Boss 302 vehicle Parnelli Jones drove when he won the 1970 Laguna Seca Trans Am Championship in Monterey, Calif.  He also had Parnelli Jones and George Follmer to sign the dash of the vehicle making Nyberg's car a little piece of Boss history.

Every Boss owner had the opportunity to take multiple laps around the test track with their vehicle.  There was also a raffle to benefit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) where six winners won the chance to ride with Mustang Chief Nameplate Engineer Dave Pericak in the new Boss 302 Laguna Seca at speeds of 140mph.

What everyone had in common at the event was pride.  From the owners who inherited the car from their parents, to the AAI employees that cheered as the 2012 Boss 302s as they drove by, owners and manufacturers alike were proud to be part of the historic Boss reunion.