These last years, the Ford Motor Company has donated a handful of one-off Mustangs to the Experimental Aircraft Association, all in the name of charity. This year, the star is a Shelby GT350 christened Ole Yeller Mustang, which sold at auction for $295,000.
When you think about it, $295,000 is a lot of money for a Shelby GT350. I mean, a purebred exotica like the Ferrari 488 GTB retails for almost $50k less in the U.S. Thing is, a one-off Shelby GT350 is more exotic than a 488 GTB.
All things considered, Ole Yeller here is more than the sum of its custom-tailored parts. This 5.2-liter flat-plane crank V8-powered brute pays homage to two American legends. “This year’s one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang honors two aviation greats, the iconic and historic P-51D Mustang fighter plane, and highly decorated fighter pilot, test pilot and air show performer, Bob Hoover, who is referred to by many as one of the greatest pilots ever to have lived,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of the FoMoCo board of directors.
All proceeds from the sale of this very special Mustang will go to youth education programs. These include the Young Eagles, an outfit which has provided introductory flights to millions of young people since 1992.
"We’re truly grateful Ford is, and has been, such a committed sponsor of EAA and AirVenture,” said Jack Pelton, CEO and chairman of the EAA board. “With its ninth Mustang donation, Ford has definitely delivered something exceptional that any auto or aviation enthusiast would love to own.”
These said, what’s next? What will Ford prepare for the 2017 EAA AirVenture charity auction? The most obvious of two candidates is the Shelby GT350, just like Ole Yeller here. If we’re lucky and if the Ford Motor Company can make a case for it, then it could very well be the heavily-awaited Shelby GT500. The most exciting and most powerful pony from the S550 species is expected to arrive on the market for model year 2018.
All things considered, Ole Yeller here is more than the sum of its custom-tailored parts. This 5.2-liter flat-plane crank V8-powered brute pays homage to two American legends. “This year’s one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang honors two aviation greats, the iconic and historic P-51D Mustang fighter plane, and highly decorated fighter pilot, test pilot and air show performer, Bob Hoover, who is referred to by many as one of the greatest pilots ever to have lived,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of the FoMoCo board of directors.
All proceeds from the sale of this very special Mustang will go to youth education programs. These include the Young Eagles, an outfit which has provided introductory flights to millions of young people since 1992.
"We’re truly grateful Ford is, and has been, such a committed sponsor of EAA and AirVenture,” said Jack Pelton, CEO and chairman of the EAA board. “With its ninth Mustang donation, Ford has definitely delivered something exceptional that any auto or aviation enthusiast would love to own.”
These said, what’s next? What will Ford prepare for the 2017 EAA AirVenture charity auction? The most obvious of two candidates is the Shelby GT350, just like Ole Yeller here. If we’re lucky and if the Ford Motor Company can make a case for it, then it could very well be the heavily-awaited Shelby GT500. The most exciting and most powerful pony from the S550 species is expected to arrive on the market for model year 2018.