A Man and His Machine: 2010 Unleashed winner gets tattoo to match his custom Ford Mustang
As part of Ford's The '10 Unleashed program you've seen a blind man realize his dream of getting behind the wheel of his favorite muscle car and a student get to drag race against his shop teacher on Pinks All Out. The latest person to get their Mustang dream granted by Ford is Daniel Verlarde, a 24-year-old Los Angeles student that takes his commitment to Mustangs more seriously than most. Already an owner of a '69 Mustang, Verlarde wanted to permanently display his love of Ford's pony car with a custom tattoo that would match the graphics on a brand new 2010 Mustang.
With Ford's approval to make the dream a reality, High Voltage Tattoo in Hollywood stepped in to create the artwork on Verlarde's arm, Luis Lopez worked his magic on the side of the car, and Galpin Auto Sports helped customize the Mustang with a set of 20-inch wheels, a hood scoop, FR3 handling pack, and more. Watch the entire video after the jump to see Verlarde's wish come true. Permanently.
[Source: Ford]
PRESS RELEASE:
DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 8, 2009 – Some automotive enthusiasts express their love for cars by purchasing new wheels for their ride, while others simply collect toy model replicas. Not 24-year-old Daniel Verlarde, a longtime Mustang fanatic who decided to express his love permanently – by getting a new custom Mustang pony logo tattooed on his body.
The psychology student and Los Angeles resident's tattoo also inspired the customization of his all-new 2010 Ford Mustang, which was designed to match the permanent ink on his skin. Verlarde's experience was made possible by participating in "The '10 Unleashed" program, which encourages consumers to submit entries describing their ultimate Mustang dream experience in 250 words or less. Videos chronicling Verlarde's customization journey unleashing his Mustang side are featured starting today at www.The2010Mustang.com.
"I wanted a tattoo artist to design a 2010 Mustang tattoo and I wanted the creation to be brought to life with the customization of an actual 2010 Mustang," said Verlarde. "This way, I could be a part of the car and the car would always be a part of me. My dream came true."
Verlarde's 2010 Mustang tattoo was created by famed artist Adam Forman at High Voltage Tattoo in Hollywood. His real-life customized 2010 Ford Mustang features paint from Luis Lopez, an artist who has more than 10 years experience in custom paintwork. Additional modifications on the vehicle include a new set of 20-inch wheels, a hood scoop, side scoops, side window louvers, rear deck fascia and an FR3 Handling Pack for a lowered stance.
"Daniel was able to unleash his inner Mustang by combining his two passions," said Ford Mustang Communications Manager Patricia Piedrahita. "The result is an extraordinary account of what customization really means to those who live and breathe Mustang."
Like Verlarde, enthusiasts' love for customization can be fulfilled by creating their very own one-of-a-kind Mustang on the www.The2010Mustang.com site. The Mustang Customizer is a tool for consumers to dream up their ultimate Mustang by creating, modifying and customizing their own vehicle. The site also includes a gallery where one can judge the custom Mustangs others have submitted.
Verlarde's experience is among several other dream Mustang experiences Ford is bringing to life with "The '10 Unleashed." Famous drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. slid sideways around Japan; consumer Roger Keeney drove blindly; and 18-year-old consumer Derek Murrell drag raced his high school shop teacher. Verlarde's experience and each of the other incredible chapters can be viewed on www.The2010Mustang.com.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
HotRodzNKustoms 8:34AM (9/10/2009)
Oh dear God! He's a hunchback!
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Derek 8:41AM (9/10/2009)
Molten metal! Molten metal!
(Only rate the comment if you know what the heck I'm talking about.)
Polarstar 8:41AM (9/10/2009)
That's just what I would do... get a tattoo to march my car.
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416Hammy 8:56AM (9/10/2009)
Since I lease my cars for 3-4 years, I wonder if I can lease a tattoo...
Vincenzo 9:27AM (9/10/2009)
What an IDIOT!
C.W. 9:59AM (9/10/2009)
as much as i love mustangs... this is just stupid.
not to mention, dude needs to lift some weights or something... you dont get a tattoo on your bicep if you're flabby. it's a rule.
Polarstar 8:42AM (9/10/2009)
(sp) match
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derek 9:14AM (9/10/2009)
Very nice indeed! I cant wait to see what the next chapters are going to be!!
I like how they mention the other winners from the '10 Unleashed!
Can't wait for 7, 8 , 9 , and 10!
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Toy Yoda 8:52AM (9/10/2009)
Can we have more pictures of the Mercury girl, Jill Wagner instead? Please?
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Yaroukh 8:53AM (9/10/2009)
meh
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TigerMil 8:56AM (9/10/2009)
Ghetto boy.
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TigerMil 8:58AM (9/10/2009)
It will serve him well in prison when he's ridden like a mare in estrus.
Jiminy_Glick 9:05AM (9/10/2009)
"My dream was to customize a $31,000 Ford to look as embarrassing as the stupid picture I had permanently poked into my arm. I don't aim very high." -Verlarde
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cool_ozzyfromkalush 9:07AM (9/10/2009)
Isn't that the guy from Pimp my Ride???
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MajorGeek 9:14AM (9/10/2009)
I want to hate it, but it looks better then any tramp stamp or chinese tattoo I usually see.
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audi_arena 4:55PM (9/10/2009)
I agree- I'm normally one of the first to jump on the hater bandwagon, but this is pretty badass compared to the thousands of other BS tattoos I see every night I go out to a bar...
Lar7789789 9:37AM (9/10/2009)
why is everyone so harsh? Is pretty cool. that image of the horse's eyes and head is bad-ass as hell, although I don't dig the skeletion bones thing on the horse.
Could be worse, could be a jerky camaro owner with a tattoo of Bumblebee on his arm and matching bumblebee image on the camaro.
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Chad 9:37AM (9/10/2009)
I love how everyone is dissing him. You'd all jump on the same train if you could.
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Dr. Smith 9:44AM (9/10/2009)
Nice car. But I hate this style of video. 2 second shots and jumping all over the place. Makes it hard to see anything.
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Geekengineer 9:50AM (9/10/2009)
That airbrush work is top-notch. I have a lot of respect for people who do NOT use vinyl appliques. I'm tired of that stuff. I consider it cheating.
Real pinstriping - by hand - and decent airbrushing are becoming more and more rare.
The tattoo looked pretty decent, too. While neither the tattoo nor the paint job appeal to me, I can appreciate the work that went into both.
Maybe we'll see the 'Stang in the background in "The Fastest and the Furiousest: Nürburgring Attack"...
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