First 2020 Shelby GT500 Raises Funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research
The first of Ford‘s recently unveiled 700-plus-hp Mustang Shelby GT500 limited-edition vehicles was auctioned earlier this month for $1.1 million to benefit JDFR-the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.
According to Ford, the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 is the most powerful production Mustang ever made. The first car off the production line-VIN 001-was auctioned for charity at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The winning bidder for the car was Craig Jackson-chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson.
“The chance to become the owner of the first 2020 Ford Shelby GT500 car is an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of global operations. “More importantly, being involved in helping to raise much-needed funds and awareness for JDRF is a big win for everyone.”
Two of the most famous families in performance helped auction the car, as Edsel B. Ford II and Aaron Shelby were on stage to promote the special car’s potential to help kids battling type 1 diabetes.
“For 35 years, Ford Motor Co. has fueled the efforts of JDRF researchers to find a cure, while helping millions of children enjoy better lives,” said Ford II. “The proceeds from this car will add to the more than $3.5 million Ford contributes to JDRF annually, for a total of $70 million donated during our long-time partnership.”
World-Beating Pedigree
The 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 draws on Carroll Shelby and Ford’s many performance collaborations that began with the Cobra roadster in 1962, which went on to win a world championship. Working together, Ford and Shelby also won at Le Mans with the Ford GT-40.
When Ford Motor Co. asked Shelby to turn its new Mustang into a race winner for the 1965 model year, the small-block Ford Shelby GT350 was born. Then, in 1967, the big-block-powered Ford Shelby GT500 was unveiled, the company noted.
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 in Scottsdale with Ford II and Carroll Shelby watching from the block.
The limited-production 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 car will be available in the United States and Canada this fall.
