If you wanted to be among the first people to set eyes on the new 2010 Mustang models, Tinseltown theater in Fayetteville was the place to be last week.

It was an invitation-only event — at one of just 10 locations nationwide. The audience consisted of die-hard Mustang aficionados, including many from the Tara Mustang Club.

It was also the same day that executives from Ford, GM and Chrysler petitioned Congress for federal relief from a fiscally imploding industry that has, by some accounts, 3 million unsold new foreign and domestic vehicles gathering dust on car lots.

But that reality was suspended in all the glitz and glamour of the Mustang unveiling. The production, broadcast live from Santa Monica, Calif., focused at first on the Mustang’s storied 46-year history as the longest continuously produced muscle car in America.

It took awhile to get to the grand unveiling, but when five professionally-driven 2010 Mustangs skidded onto the floor, the room burst into applause.

The first Mustangs will be delivered in March, and dealers are now taking orders. Participants in Tuesday’s gala went home with a T-shirt and their very own die-cast model of the 2010 Mustang.

It’s apparent that Ford is hinging at least part of its future on the muscle car, as classic styling meets contemporary design in many of the car’s features.

And there’s plenty of muscle, as the base model has a 4.0L V6 engine capable of 210 horsepower, and the upgrade GT model has a 4.6L V8 under the hood with 315 horsepower at the ready.

Ford has sold more than 9 million Mustangs in its 45 years, but company officials said this year the big change has been a nod to the hardcore enthusiasts, particularly in the design offerings.

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