DEARBORN, Jan. 25, 2006 (FCN) -- One lucky bidder at the 35th Anniversary Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., recently won the right to own the [highlight]first 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 coupe offered for public sale[/highlight]. The winning bid? [highlight]$638,000[/highlight].
That may seem like a lot for a car that will carry a base price close to $40,000, but the proceeds from this particular car will go to support a special cause near to Carroll Shelby's heart, the Carroll Shelby Children's FoundationTM.
"Shelby's 'never quit' perseverance is as American as you can get -- and it's something we should all emulate," said Mark Fields, executive vice president, Ford Motor Company, and president of the Americas, who announced Ford's plans to auction the vehicle at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. "His generosity is something we should emulate, too."
The Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation was created in 1991 to help provide financial assistance to children in need of organ and tissue transplants. It is an organization especially precious to the 83-year-old Shelby because he is the longest-living double-organ recipient. He received a heart in 1990, and his son, Mike, donated a kidney to him in 1996.
"When I was lying there in the hospital awaiting my heart, two boys on either side of me passed away because they did not receive a transplant in time," said Shelby. "So, I made a deal with the big man above, and if I was to receive a heart and survive, I would do whatever I could to help out those who were less fortunate."
In addition to raising funds, the foundation also works to promote public awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation.
"So many people die every day waiting for organs that end up being buried with people," said Shelby. "I think it is so unnecessary."
When asked how it made him feel when he found out that the first Shelby GT500 would be auctioned to benefit his foundation, Shelby said, "When you get old, you know that some time you're going to go horizontal and when you have people around you like the Ford family and the people that run the company that remember what's important to you, it's especially touching."
Scheduled to go into production this summer, the 2007 Shelby GT500 will be the most powerful factory-built Mustang ever produced. According to Shelby, the winning bidder and all future buyers won't be disappointed.
"The new Shelby GT500 is an amazing American car that will offer fantastic performance," he said.
If you would like more information about the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation, visit
www.shelbychildrensfoundation.org.
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Topic: Barrett-Jackson (Read 2489 times)