Snake Serum: Ford Auctioning 2020
Mustang Shelby GT500 VIN 001 to Help JDRF Cure Kids with Diabetes
The Ford Mustang – a storied performance car – is going for an all-new win
in January – trying to help researchers cure children with Type 1
Diabetes.
VIN 001 of the highly anticipated 2020 Shelby GT500 projected to make
700-plus horsepower will be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson Collector Car
Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, Jan. 18, 2019, with all proceeds going to
help Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation research a cure for the
disease.
“JDRF always needs more muscle to help kids fight diabetes, so we are
donating one of our heavyweights – the very first 2020 Shelby GT500,” said
Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, Global Operations. “We have supported JDRF
for many of its nearly 50 years, so we know there’s no easy cure. That is
why we are using our most iconic vehicles to help researchers find cures
and help millions of children live better lives until that day arrives.”
Edsel Ford II and Aaron Shelby will rekindle the performance magic their
two families have created for decades by helping build excitement for the
car as it rolls across the block. The winning bidder of lot No. 3,008 –
selling at no reserve, or whatever top price is tendered at the auction –
will become the owner of the coveted first production Mustang Shelby GT500
and can choose from all available colors and options.
The proceeds will add to the more than $2 million Ford contributes to JDRF
annually, a total of $60 million during 35 years of partnership. Live
auction coverage will air on MotorTrend Network.
World-beating pedigree
The 2020 Shelby GT500 draws on Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Company’s
many performance collaborations beginning with the Cobra roadster in 1962
that went on to win a world championship. Together, they broke a European
stranglehold on Le Mans, winning the most important sports car race in the
world with the Ford GT40.
When Ford asked Shelby to turn its new Mustang into a race winner for the
1965 model year, the small-block Ford Shelby GT350 was born. In 1967, the
big-block-powered Ford Shelby GT500 was unveiled. It went on to become a
worldwide star.
In 2006, Ford and Shelby announced a new-generation Ford Shelby GT500. The
first 2007 model year car available to the public was sold at
Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale with Edsel Ford II and Carroll Shelby watching
from the block.
“Over the past decade, Ford, Shelby and Barrett-Jackson have given
enthusiasts the opportunity to collect some very rare cars,” said Craig
Jackson, CEO and chairman, Barrett-Jackson. “In 2015, we sold VIN 001 Ford
Shelby GT350 at Barrett-Jackson, giving JDRF a cool million dollars. We
look forward to hosting members of the Ford and Shelby families again when
they auction VIN 001 of the newest Mustang Shelby GT500 for charity.”
It promises to be a historic moment when the ultimate souvenir from the
2019 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction goes up for grabs, Jackson added.
The 2020 Shelby GT500 will be introduced to the public ahead of the
auction of VIN 001, revealed with more specifications at the North
American International Auto Show in Detroit Jan. 14. The
limited-production car will be available in the United States and Canada
in next fall.
For auction information, visit the Barrett-Jackson website or Facebook.
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