Shelby GT Makes Big Splash At Barrett-Jackson Auction

DEARBORN, Jan. 22, 2007 (FCN) -- Two Ford-powered and Carroll Shelby-built vehicles made history last weekend at the 36th annual Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The new 2007 Shelby GT Mustang serial No. 1 and the only 1966 427 Cobra Super Snake made bidder's history in front of an estimated 25,000 spectators and more than 1 million viewers live on Speed Channel.

With Mark Fields, Ford president, The Americas, officiating the auction, collector Ron Pratt of Chandler, Ariz., got his hands on the first 2007 Shelby GT Mustang with a winning bid of $600,000. Proceeds from the event were put towards the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation, which was created in 1991 to help provide financial assistance to children in need of organ and tissue transplants. Over the last three auction events, Ford Motor Company has raised over $1.7 million for this foundation.

Also on the auction block at Jackson-Barrett was the famous "Super Snake," a rare dual supercharged 427 Cobra built by Carroll Shelby in 1966, which Pratt also landed with a bid of $5.5 million, the most paid for an American car at auction.

"I wanted it to be the fastest, meanest car on the road," said Shelby. "Forty years later, it will still kick the tail of just about anything in the world. It's the fastest street legal Cobra I've ever owned."

The Shelby GT is built off the same platform as the Ford Mustang and is considered to be a modern evolution of the legendary Shelby products built in the 60's. The Shelby GT is the latest product to join the Mustang stable that now includes the Shelby GTH, Shelby GT, and the Shelby GT500.

"We're certainly excited about this year's auction results because it says there's true demand for our products and for the Mustang brand," said Robert Parker, Ford car marketing manager.

Also receiving plenty of attention at the auction was the 1932 Dearborn Deuce, the first ever mass-produced V8 engine that echoed the engineering genius of Henry Ford and groundbreaking styling of his son Edsel. The legendary vehicle brought a winning bid of $330,000.

"Edsel probably never got the credit he should have gotten for a lot of things he did. And I think celebrating his influence on the Deuce coupe interests me a lot, and that is one of the reasons I'm here," said Edsel's grandson, Edsel B. Ford II.

More than 200,000 people came out to the Barrett-Jackson auction to check out cool collectors' items, but got some Ford brand exposure with ride-and-drive events and contests. According to Parker, participation at the Ford experiential events was up 200 percent versus a successful 2006 auction.

"Working with Carroll Shelby's Foundation and JDRF, we are putting cars in collectors' hands and contributing to great causes that save lives," said Parker.

In addition to raising funds, the foundation also works to promote public awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation. To get more information about the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation, visit www.shelbychildrensfoundation.org.