The Supra wasn’t the only charity lot either. The first Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 also achieved $1.1 million for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
The auction for the Ford also achieved a price beyond any prior expectation. The owner of VIN001 will now get to choose the specification of the first car before Ford put the order into production and deliver the first car to the new owner.
Like the Supra, the GT500 was only release at the Detroit Motor Show 2019 last week. Few details on its performance were released although we do know that it will pack a power figure in excess of 700 hp from its 5.0 litre V8.
A second charity lot donated by Ford was also auctioned. The first Ford GT Heritage Edition topped that up with a healthy $2.5 million. The GT was apparently purchased by Rick Hendrick, regular purchaser of charity lots and owner of NASCAR’s Hendrick Motorsport. The proceeds for that sale benefits United Way for Southeastern Michigan, boosting Ford’s total philanthropy to $3.6 million across the two charities.
The owner of the Ford GT Heritage Edition does know what he is getting though! The Heritage Edition was put together to celebrate Ford’s 1968 Le Mans-winning race car. It shares its original paint scheme, with No. 9 graphics on the hood and doors, a ghosted image on the interior door panels, a unique serialized identification plate, and exposed carbon fiber inside and out.
