Aviation Themed Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Raises $295k for Charity

Ford Motor Company recently built and donated a uniquely designed Shelby GT350 Mustang for the Experimental Aircraft Association and with the auction for that car having taken place last week, the automaker has announced that the bright yellow muscle car raised $295,000 for the charity.

Each year, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) holds their AirVenture event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and for each of the past 8 years, a specially designed Ford Mustang has been auctioned off for the EAA’s youth education programs. The 2016 AirVenture marked the 9th year with a custom Ford Mustang and for the most recent fundraising effort, Ford picked a bright yellow Shelby GT350 model.

While simply offering up a 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang would surely bring in a fair sum of money for the charity, the Motor Company teamed up with a long list of aftermarket companies to create an amazing custom muscle car – appropriately named “Ole Yeller”.

“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. Through this project, we take great pride in continuing our support for EAA youth education programs.”

The Ole Yeller Ford Mustang
The Ole Yeller Ford Mustang started as a 2016 Shelby GT350 model with the flat plane V8 offering 526 horsepower and 429lb-ft of torque. The Motor Company then added the unique bright yellow paint with dark accents and Old Yeller badging, unique wheels and tires, sportier body bits, Recaro race cars, green lighting inside and out and other small items to make this Mustang so different from the “normal” GT350.

Not considering the modifications, this 2016 Ford Shelby GT3550 Mustang would be around $50k, but at the recent auction for the EAA AirVenture, this gorgeous yellow muscle car sold for a whopping $295,000 – all of which will go to the EAA youth charities.

“We’re truly grateful Ford is, and has been, such a committed sponsor of EAA and AirVenture,” 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.”

Here is a list of the previous Ford Mustang’s which were auctioned off for the EAA:
2008 – Mustang AV8R, with cues from F-22 Raptor, which helped introduce the glass-roof canopy and delivered an auction contribution of $500,000
2009 – AV-X10 “Dearborn Doll” Mustang, crafted in honor of the World War II aircraft
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
2011 – Blue Angels Mustang, created to celebrate 100 years of U.S. naval aviation
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
2013 – U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Edition Mustang, built to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team
2014 – F-35 Lightning II Edition Mustang, which featured design cues from the world’s most advanced multirole fighter jet – the F-35 Lightning
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.