A custom 2026 Factory Five Mk5 Roadster, built over the past year with help from pediatric cancer patients, survivors and their siblings, will make its public debut at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nov. 3–6, before going to an online auction on Bring a Trailer beginning Black Friday, Nov. 27, through Monday, Dec. 7.
The roadster is the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer’s 19th custom vehicle build and its sixth with Factory Five Racing. It will be on display in the Factory Five Racing Booth #22951 in Central Hall. All auction proceeds support the foundation’s free, lifelong services for children with cancer, their siblings and parents, organization officials said in a press release.
Industrial Arts Therapy: Building Skills in the Garage
Childhood cancer and its treatment can leave lasting effects on coordination, learning and behavior. The foundation’s Industrial Arts Therapy Program meets those challenges in a unique setting: a garage. Patients, survivors and their siblings learn welding, fabrication, wiring and other STEM-based trades, working side by side with their families on a real vehicle.
Each year’s build gives that work a finish line: a car shown at the SEMA Show, then sold to help fund the next year of services.
“Each year, children and families served by the Austin Hatcher Foundation participate in an extraordinary hands-on experience, transforming a Factory Five Racing kit into a one-of-a-kind vehicle designed to capture the attention of collectors and automotive enthusiasts alike,” said Amy Jo Osborn, co-founder and CEO of the Austin Hatcher Foundation. “Through exceptional design, craftsmanship and attention to detail, each build becomes something truly special. More importantly, the process gives children and families meaningful therapeutic opportunities to develop new skills, build confidence and create lasting memories together. Proceeds from the auction directly support our mission of providing comprehensive care to families facing childhood cancer, at no cost to them.”
Meet the Young Builders Behind the Mk5 Roadster
Cruz, 10, is the sibling of a childhood cancer survivor and worked on his first car build this year. He worked on the handbrake, suspension, driveshaft, bellhousing and harmonic balancer. “Every week is a new adventure while we’re building the car,” Cruz said. “I know that if I can accomplish this, that means I can do anything in life as long as I put my mind to it.”
John Allen, 16, a Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, is on his fourth build. He designed the dashboard layout and assembled the flywheel and clutch, alternator, radiator and fuel pump. “Building the car is like working on a giant Lego set,” he said. “I love working with my hands, and it’s nice to see the progression of it throughout the year.” His plan for the future: aerospace or motorsport engineering.
Build Specs: Cobra Roots, Competition Stance
The Mk5 traces its roots to Carroll Shelby’s original Cobra, which paired an AC Ace body with a Ford Windsor V-8. Since 1995, Factory Five Racing has refined that platform. Rather than creating a replica, this build interprets it as a 1960s and 70s American competition roadster, finished with modern materials and engineering.
The defining feature is the stance. Custom Schott wheels and wide BFGoodrich g-Force tires extend to, and in places past, the fender line, recalling period race Cobras and early American drag cars. A custom PPG metallic bronze, “Patina Gold,” and a vintage racing-style interior in Sage Automotive Dinamica complete the look.
- Engine: BluePrint Engines 347 stroker, deluxe dressed
- Driveline: TREMEC TKX 5-speed, McLeod 10.5-inch clutch, Moser 8.8 rear end
- Wheels and tires: Schott Performance Cobra S.Concave wheels, BFGoodrich g-Force tires
- Interior: Custom by Fully Loaded Interiors in Sage Dinamica suede; Ring Brothers switchgear, Vintage Air climate control, Bose sound system
- Details: Metra LED interior, hood and trunk lighting; H3R Performance fire suppression; The Dreamcar Company billet mirrors
- Finish: Custom PPG “Patina Gold” metallic bronze, high-gloss show finish
How to Bid on the Mk5 Roadster on Bring a Trailer
Bidding opens on Bring a Trailer on Black Friday, Nov. 27, and closes Dec. 7. To be notified when the listing goes live, collectors and fans can subscribe to notifications on the foundation’s Bring a Trailer profile at bringatrailer.com/member/amyjoosborn.
The track record of the foundation’s builds on Bring a Trailer includes the two highest-selling Type 65 Coupe models on the platform, in 2022 and 2025. Last year’s auction drew 48 bids and more than 40,000 views, the release noted.
“The Austin Hatcher Foundation and the kids involved produce some of the nicest replicas offered on Bring a Trailer,” one commenter wrote during last year’s auction. “I’d argue the quality rivals, and in some cases exceeds, certain factory-built replicas.”
Earlier builds and restorations, each auctioned to fund family services, are featured on Hatch’s Garage at hatcherfoundation.org/hatchs-garage.
Aftermarket Partners & Sponsors Behind the Build
The foundation’s network of automotive partners made the 2026 Mk5 Roadster possible by contributing parts, craftsmanship and expertise to the build.
Key automotive partners: Factory Five Racing, BluePrint Engines, JEGS High Performance, Moser Engineering, TREMEC Transmissions and Sage Automotive Interiors.
Supporting sponsors: Vaughn’s Hotrods, Fully Loaded Interiors, Dorsett Industries, Stateline Auto, Ring Brothers, Excel Machine Technologies, S&H Chrome Plating, Schott Performance, BFGoodrich, Michelin, Top Notch Customs, Metra, Vintage Air, Snakebite Motorworks, Speed Dawg, H3R Performance, Spangler Sheet Metal and Alloway Stamping & Machine Co.