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Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang bred from Shelby GT350® – the mosttrack-ready and road-legal Mustang ever produced
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Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang pays homage to the famous North American
P-51D Mustang which served as the official pace and safety plane at
the Reno National Championship Air Races
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Bob Hoover, renowned United States Air Force fighter pilot and air
show performer, piloted “Ole Yeller” for more than 20 years making
more than 1,000 air show performances
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Donation and sale will benefit EAA’s youth education programs,
including Young Eagles
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Unique Ford Mustangs have raised $3 million for EAA youth education
programs, including Young Eagles
Company Website:
http://corporate.ford.com/
DEARBORN, Mich. -- (Business Wire)
Ford Motor Company has created the most track-ready and road-legal Ford
Mustang to benefit Experimental Aircraft Association’s youth education
programs, including the Young Eagles. The aviation-inspired Ford “Ole
Yeller” Mustang will be donated and sold via auction at the Gathering of
Eagles charity event – the ninth straight year Ford has donated a car –
on July 28 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016, the World’s Greatest Aviation
Celebration.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160715005454/en/
Ford Motor Company has created the most track-ready and road-legal Ford Mustang to benefit Experimental Aircraft Association’s youth education programs, including the Young Eagles. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang features a custom yellow exterior finish
with “Ole Yeller” accents and badging, unique carbon fiber components
and mirrors projecting images of the aircraft. The interior incorporates
specially designed Recaro seats, sill plates, floor mats with unique
logos and aviation inspired gauges.
Bred from the ultra high-performance and limited production, Shelby
GT350® Mustang, it features a 5.2L Ti-VCT V8 engine with Flat Plane
Crank. Boasting the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine Ford has
ever produced, the Shelby GT350 generates a heart-pounding 526
horsepower and exhilarating 429 lb-ft of torque. This powerhouse is
mated to a TREMEC® 6-speed manual transmission and features a specially
tuned sport suspension, making it the most track-ready, road-legal
Mustang ever produced.
“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 Ford board of directors. “The
Shelby GT350 Mustang, with its nimbleness, speed and aerodynamics,
provided us with the perfect platform to create this tribute to the
P-51D aircraft.”
“Ole Yeller,” with its bright, eye-catching yellow exterior, is one of
the most recognizable P-51D Mustangs in the world. It still holds the
prop plane record for coast-to-coast travel at 5 hours and 20 minutes,
set in 1985. R. A. “Bob” Hoover, known as a pilot’s pilot, will be
forever linked with “Ole Yeller.” Hoover is widely considered the
founding father of modern aerobatics and thrilled airshow fans piloting
“Ole Yeller” for more than 20 years. In 1997, Hoover sold "Ole Yeller"
to his good friend John Bagley of Rexburg, Idaho. "Ole Yeller" still
flies frequently and is based at the Legacy Flight Museum in Rexburg,
Idaho.
The auction of the Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang will be the pinnacle of the
EAA Gathering of Eagles gala. The event annually draws more than 1,000
aviation enthusiasts in support of EAA’s youth education programs, which
inspire young people to become engineers, aviators, astronauts,
scientists and innovators – the aviation pioneers of tomorrow.
All proceeds from the sale of the car will benefit EAA’s youth education
programs, including the Young Eagles, which has provided free
introductory flights to 2 million young people since 1992, helping grow
the next generation of aviators.
“We’re truly grateful Ford is, and has been, such a committed sponsor of
EAA and AirVenture for more than 16 years now,” said Jack Pelton, EAA
CEO and chairman of the board. “With its ninth Mustang donation, Ford
has definitely delivered something exceptional that any auto or aviation
enthusiast would love to own. The Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang will allow
EAA to provide support to our valuable programs helping us grow the next
generation of aviators.”
The Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang joins eight other one-of-a-kind Mustangs
created by the Ford design and engineering teams for the auction in
support of EAA youth education. Ford vehicles donated at EAA AirVenture
events have collectively raised $3 million.
Previous years’ unique aviation themed Mustangs created to support EAA’s
youth education programs, including Young Eagles, were:
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2008 – Mustang AV8R, with cues from F-22 Raptor, which helped
introduce the glass-roof canopy and delivered an auction contribution
of $500,000
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2009 – AV-X10 “Dearborn Doll” Mustang, crafted in honor of the World
War II aircraft
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2010 – Two automotive icons – the late Carroll Shelby, former U.S. Air
Force flight instructor, and Jack Roush, longtime P-51 pilot –
collaborated for the first time to create the SR-71 Blackbird Mustang
inspired by the legendary reconnaissance jet
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2011 – Blue Angels Mustang, created to celebrate 100 years of U.S.
naval aviation
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2012 – Red Tails Mustang, to pay homage to Tuskegee Airmen –
courageous squadron of P-51 Mustang pilots who were the United States’
first African-American military airmen
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2013 – U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Edition Mustang, built to celebrate
the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration
team
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2014 – F-35 Lightning II Edition Mustang, which featured design cues
from the world’s most advanced multirole fighter jet – the F-35
Lightning
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2015 – Apollo Edition Mustang paid homage to the Apollo spaceflight
program, which delivered astonishing innovations in technology and
landed the first human on the moon.
The Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang will proudly be on display all week in the
Ford hangar at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016. To participate in the
auction, interested parties must prequalify by contacting the EAA
development office at (800) 236-1025 or donor@eaa.org.
The Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang exterior and interior were designed by
Ford Design Manager Melvin Betancourt. Interior enhancements were
supported by Ford Designer Nicole Rush and the Ford design fabrication
team. The custom modifications were performed by MAD Industries, led by
Chris Mangum. Additional contributors to the project include Ford
Performance, Brembo, Carbon 2 Carbon, BASF Refinish, Pirelli Tires,
Diode Dynamics, Rigid Industries LED Lighting, sPOD Power Distribution &
Switching Components, 3M Window Films, PIAA, APR Performance, Rosen
Electronics, FOCAL/The Source AV, Odyssey Battery, Recaro, Northern
Engraving, Miko, American & Efird, Takata Holdings, Inc., Forgiato
Wheels, Coverkings, L&G Enterprises and Signature Performance Tire &
Wheel.
To stay apprised of all Ford EAA AirVenture news, connect with the Ford
team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FordAirventure
or visit www.FordAirventure.com.
For more information on EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016, visit www.AirVenture.org.
About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration”
and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture
information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available
online at www.eaa.org/airventure.
EAA members receive the lowest prices on admission rates. For more
information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA
(1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org.
Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based
in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 201,000 employees and 67 plants
worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing,
manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing a full line of Ford
cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as Lincoln luxury
vehicles. At the same time, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging
opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a
leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer
experience and data and analytics. The company provides financial
services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information
regarding Ford and its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company,
visit www.corporate.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and
video, visit www.fordairventure.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160715005454/en/
Contacts:
Ford Motor Company
Dan Jones
313.594.3744
djone602@ford.com
or
Andrew
Shoushanian
313.982.1400
andrews@versacom-inc.com
Source: Ford Motor Company
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