When growing up, there is lots of milestones in age that you reach. 13 is when you finally become a teenager and 16 is when you can finally get behind the wheel and drive! 18 means you’re an adult and can gamble or enlist in the military. 21 is when you’re allowed to legally drink. What are some other great milestones? If you’re married, reaching 10, 20, or 30 years is a huge milestone as well.

For Mickey Thompson Performance Tires and Wheels, 2013 marks the 50th year in business. While 50 years old is something most people don’t want to see, Mickey Thompson is extremely proud of it and they should be. “This is an incredible milestone for our company” says Ken Warner, VP of Marketing for Mickey Thompson. “We want to celebrate this achievement and commemorate this anniversary by honoring both our history and the future of our company at the SEMA Show this year.”

Founded in 1963 by Mickey Thompson and friend Gene McMannis, they have been innovating the wheel industry ever since. To celebrate these 50 years, they rolled out the red carpet at the SEMA 2013 show. They showcased four different vehicles:

• The historic Challenger 1 Streamliner built by the late Mickey Thompson in the 1960s. Racing at Bonneville, the young Mickey Thompson exceeded the 400 mph mark in this legendary vehicle achieving a top speed of 406 mph and earning him the nickname “The Speed King”
• Mickey Thompson’s 1969 Mach 1 Funny Car, one of the most recognized vehicles in drag racing history, driven by Danny Ongias
• A Ford F-150 Deegan 38 project truck featuring the new 35-inch Deegan 38 tires, and an impressive assortment of great Metal Mulisha accessories
• 2014 Jeep JK featuring the new M/T Metal Series bumpers on the front and rear along with the 37-inch Baja ATZp3 tires

What lies ahead for the next 50 years? 

“Our company continues to focus on product development to meet the changing needs of the vehicle and racing landscape” states Warner. With todays cars going faster with more horsepower, better designs in suspension, and even lighter cars, they are constantly evolving. Between drag racing, road racing, and off road racing, Mickey Thompson and Warner “remain dedicated to providing excellent products to meet those needs.”