Sale of first production Shelby GT350R, VIN 001, raises $1,000,000 for charity during Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction
The first retail production Shelby GT350R Mustang, VIN 001, fetched $1,000,000 for charity at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction at WestWorld today. Ford Motor Company auctioned the car at No Reserve, with proceeds benefiting JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.
After an electrifying bidding war, purchase of the first retail production Shelby GT350R was made by an anonymous bidder who is now the proud owner of this coveted vehicle.
“We knew the auction of this coveted car would capture the attention of serious enthusiasts,” said Steve Ling, Ford North American Car Marketing manager. “This was one of the most exhilarating auctions to witness, and the winning bidder is taking home a piece of history.”
In 1965, Ford and Carroll Shelby developed a road-racing version of the popular Ford Mustang – the Shelby GT350 Competition model. Lighter, more powerful and with a highly developed suspension, it is one of the most iconic racing Mustangs ever produced.
500hp-plus Shelby GT350R is the fastest and most powerful Mustang ever produced.Arriving later this year, the 2015 Shelby GT350R has been designed and engineered in the same spirit, delivering never-before-seen track capability from a Mustang – thanks to innovations in aerodynamics, chassis engineering and light-weighting technologies.
Shelby GT350R features the first-ever production V8 from Ford with a flat-plane crankshaft – the most powerful naturally aspirated engine Ford has ever produced – plus a specially tuned suspension.
The new 500hp-plus 5.2-liter is the most powerful naturally-aspriated enginw Ford ha built and the first-ever production V8 from Ford with a flat-plane crankshaft, an architecture typically found only in racing applications or exotic European sports cars.
Unlike a traditional V8, where the connecting rods are attached to the crankshaft at 90-degree intervals, this design evenly spaces all crank pins at 180-degree intervals.
The 180-degree, flat-plane layout permits a cylinder firing order that alternates between cylinder banks, reducing the overlap of exhaust pressure pulses. When combined with cylinder-head and valvetrain advancements, this permits better cylinder breathing, further extending the performance envelope of the V8.
The GT350R’s track capability is enhanced by the output characteristics of the engine – the 5.2-liter V8 features an exceptionally broad torque curve. Combined with its high-revving ability, the flat-plane 5.2-liter V8 gives drivers an enormous amount of performance and flexibility within each gear of the lightweight six-speed manual transmission.
It features revised spring rates and antiroll bars, bushings and jounce bumpers, as well as control calibration for the MagneRide dampers, a lower ride height, unique track-tuned alignment settings and cross-axis ball joints in front.
Complete vehicle specs and images of the car can be found here.
Together, Ford Motor Company and Barrett-Jackson have raised more than $8 million at various auctions benefiting local and national charities.
