Last night the USAF Thunderbirds Edition 2014 Ford Mustang developed by the design and engineering teams at Ford Motor Company and built by Creations n’ Chrome sold for $398,000 at the Gathering of Eagles charity auction. The event was held during the 2013 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh, known as the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.” All proceeds from the donated Mustang and sale benefit the EAA Young Eagles program, which has provided free introductory flights to more than 1.6 million young people since 1992, helping inspire and motivate the next generation of leaders, aviators and innovators. The Young Eagles auction is part of the EAA Gathering of Eagles gala. The Gathering of Eagles annually draws more than 1,000 aviation enthusiasts in support of Young Eagles and other EAA programs that inspire young people to become engineers, aviators, astronauts, scientists and innovators – the aviation pioneers of tomorrow.
“The dedication and excellence displayed by the United States Air Force Thunderbirds are qualities we also celebrate at Ford,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of the Ford board of directors. “With this year’s beautiful U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Edition Mustang, we’ve captured the recognizable symbols of their stature and paired it with the innovation our Ford design and engineering teams build into all of our products.”
“Through this project,” Ford added, “we take great pride in continuing our support for EAA and the Young Eagles organization.”
“Ford is a longtime, committed sponsor of EAA and AirVenture, bringing value to those who make Oshkosh the pinnacle of their aviation year,” said Jack Pelton, EAA Chairman. “These specialty vehicles reflect the depth of Ford’s commitment and allow EAA to provide support to its valuable programs and dedicated members in helping us grow the next generation of aviators.”
The USAF Thunderbirds Edition joins five other one-of-a-kind Mustangs created by the Ford design and engineering teams for the EAA Young Eagles auction in recent years including the Mustang AV8R in 2008, the AV-X10 “Dearborn Doll” Mustang in 2009, the SR-71 “Blackbird” Mustang in 2010, the “Blue Angels” Mustang in 2011 and last year’s “Red Tails” Mustang that paid homage to the Tuskegee Airmen. Ford vehicles sold at auction during EAA AirVenture events to date have collectively raised more than $2.5 million to support Young Eagles.
This year’s unique USAF Thunderbirds Ford Mustang, VIN 0001 for 2014, celebrates and commemorates the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. The exterior showcases a custom brilliant white paint with red and blue accents, as well as markings and logos, tying it to the Thunderbirds’ F-16 Falcon aircraft. The unique treatment includes wide body modifications and a handcrafted and painted “belly pan” that emulates the F-16 Thunderbird appearance. TS Designs handcrafted the wide body elements, 3dCarbon created a unique matching fascia, Creations n’ Chrome crafted the unique belly pan – plus applied the paint and markings – and Forgiato created custom 22-inch wheels to further differentiate this Mustang from anything else on the road.
Unique interior details of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Edition Ford Mustang GT include a modified navigation screen, instrument cluster and rear seat-delete. The car’s Recaro seats sport embroidered Thunderbirds elements. Additional features consist of unique sill plates and puddle lamps that project the aircraft silhouette when the doors open. Ford Racing components boost the performance to an extraordinary level. With the addition of a Ford Racing supercharger, suspension handling pack and Brembo® brakes, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Edition Mustang exudes class, power and performance.
To stay connected to all Ford EAA AirVenture news, connect with the Ford EAA AirVenture team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FordAirventure or visit www.FordAirventure.com. For more information on EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013, visit www.AirVenture.org.
