Ford, Barrett-Jackson To Auction Rare Ford Gt To Benefit Carroll Shelby Children’s Fund

* Ford to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans by auctioning one of the first Ford GTs – from its own collection.
* Auction at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach to benefit Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation
* The final Ford GT will roll off the assembly line later this year

PALM BEACH, Fla., March 30, 2006 - One lucky bidder will leave this weekend’s Barrett-Jackson Palm Peach auction with a very rare Ford supercar – and the satisfaction of helping seriously ill children.

Ford Motor Company is teaming up with auto legend Carroll Shelby in auctioning off a rare Ford GT to benefit the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation. Up for auction is the early-built 2005 Ford GT VIN 00003, which originally was produced for marketing events and auto shows.

The rareness and exclusivity of owning this or any Ford GT is assured as Ford ramps down production as planned later this year after a run of approximately 4,000 units. The Ford GT supercar’s base MSRP is $151,245. In 2003, Ford auctioned the first-ever Ford GT sold to the public for $557,500. The proceeds from that auction also benefited various charities.

“Our plan from the beginning was to build the Ford GT in limited volumes between Ford’s centennial in 2003 and the 40th anniversary of the GT40’s victory over Ferrari this year,” says Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company executive vice president and president of The Americas.

“ By every measure, the GT has been a success. In the 1960s, we set out to beat Ferrari. Most recently, we showed that a motivated Ford team could achieve the very same greatness again.”

In this final year of production for the Ford GT , Fields says it is fitting to take a victory lap in conjunction with Carroll Shelby and his children’s charity. Shelby was instrumental in both the design of the original race car and today’s Ford GT. Shelby also has played a key role in the development of the new Ford Shelby GT500, the fastest production Mustang ever and the company’s newest performance car that goes on sale this summer.

“When I think about the exciting Ford GT and the new Ford Shelby GT500 coming this summer, it’s clear that Ford has raised the bar on performance,” says Shelby.

Shelby has scored successes in the performance world since he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and was named Sports Car Illustrated’s “Driver of the Year” in 1959.

Retiring from racing after being diagnosed with a heart ailment, Shelby founded Shelby American and teamed up with Ford Motor Company to create the Ford V-8 powered Cobra sports car in 1962. It went on to dominate road racing for years to come.

Later, Shelby spearheaded the development of the Ford GT40 racing program, which knocked Ferrari from atop the racing world. The GT40 swept to its famed 1-2-3 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 1966 before proceeding to take first place the next three years in a row.

At age 83, Shelby is the oldest and longest-living double-organ recipient. He received a heart in 1990, and his son Mike donated a kidney to him in 1996. He created the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation in October 1991 to provide financial assistance for acute coronary and kidney care for young people.

“We’ve worked with Barrett-Jackson many times before, they have helped raise so much money for charities over the years, it’s a natural for Ford to offer this special Ford GT here,” says Shelby. “I’m grateful to both, as well as to the auction winner, for so generously helping the many children that desperately need medical assistance.”

“Ford, Shelby and the Barrett-Jackson auction have had a special relationship over the past 35 years,” says Craig Jackson, president and CEO of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company. “I take great pride in the fact that Ford Motor Company and Carroll Shelby have chosen to offer the rights to this low-production Ford GT at our Palm Beach auction, where only the finest collector vehicles are offered to the public.”

The Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction will include a charity preview gala, vendor displays and three days of no reserve auction excitement from Thursday, March 30, through Saturday, April 1 at The South Florida Expo Center. This year’s event will include more than 600 quality collector cars. SPEED Channel will provide television coverage.

Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces the “World’s Greatest Classic Car Events™” in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Palm Beach, Fla. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com com or call 480.421.6694.

As a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation (CSCF) depends solely on individual and corporate contributions for funding. Under IRS code regulations, donations to CSCF are tax deductible. All donation monies go directly to the operation and support of the foundation and its programs. It can be found on the web at www.shelbychildrensfoundation.org.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader, is based in Dearborn, Mich. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.

Contact Information

Jim Cain

Manager, North American Marketing and Sales Communications

Ford Motor Company

Contact via E-mail