Ford Donates Three High-Performance Vehicles To Benefit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

* A 2010 Ford Shelby GT500, a 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and a Ford Racing Mustang Cobra Jet will be available at the 38th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., with proceeds donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
* The auction will be shown live at approximately 10 p.m. Eastern on Saturday on SPEED

DEARBORN, Mich. – The sales of three special, high-performance Ford vehicles will benefit one key charity at the always-anticipated Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Ford is offering the purchase rights to the first retail version of the 540-horsepower 2010 Ford Shelby GT500, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor offered to the public as well as the first Ford Racing Mustang Cobra Jet with the hood signed by several Ford drag racing legends, including John Force and Bob Glidden. Proceeds from the 38th annual auction, which will televised live at approximately 10 p.m. EST on Saturday on SPEED, will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

“We’re honored to assist the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation through these great Ford vehicles,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas.

“The Shelby GT500, SVT Raptor and Cobra Jet all will be eagerly sought by enthusiast collectors,” he added. “The Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction is always a draw, and we’re proud to be a part of it and help a great cause at the same time.”

The GT500, Raptor and Cobra Jet are the latest examples of Ford’s commitment to performance vehicles, and their auction offering is the latest in a long-standing charity partnership. Last year, Ford donated a one-off Ford Shelby GT500KR with a glass roof to the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, and it sold for $550,000. Ford has raised more than $2 million for charity through its donations to car auctions in recent years.

The Ford Shelby GT500 and F-150 SVT Raptor being auctioned will be the first retail units sold of their respective makes, and the winning bidders can specify choice of color and other options.

Here’s what the winning bidders have to look forward to:

2010 Ford Shelby GT500

The new Shelby GT500 delivers the most power and refinement ever for a Ford SVT-tuned performance Mustang – and offers a few surprises as well. Powering the Shelby GT500 is a supercharged and intercooled 5.4-liter dual overhead cam V-8 engine producing 540 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque. Upgrades to the twin-disc clutch on the six-speed manual transmission improve drivability and reduce NVH (noise, vibration, harshness).

The GT500 now combines its usual outstanding straight-line acceleration in gears 1-4 with improved fuel efficiency in its cruising gears. The new final drive ratio, from 3.31 to 3.55, enables improved acceleration in lower gears while complementing the revised fifth and sixth gear ratios.

The new exterior design, which now features racing stripes on convertible models, is complemented by an all-new interior design brimming with upscale materials such as leather and Alcantara.

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

The all-new F-150 SVT Raptor is a purpose-built, high-performance off-road truck versatile enough to take on the most-challenging desert adventures as well as the everyday commute. Ford, the definitive leader in tough trucks, now sets the bar for high-speed off-road performance.

Key to Raptor’s performance are the 12.1 inches of usable travel in the rear suspension and 11.2 in the front as well as FOX Racing Shox, the only internal bypass shocks available on a street truck. SVT changed the whole front suspension – axle, upper A arm, lower A arm, tie rod, half-shaft joints – to withstand the rigors of off-road performance. In addition, a wide suite of technology, including AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control, Hill Descent Control, and Integrated Trailer Brake Controller with Trailer Sway Control (optional) adds to customer confidence.

The 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor casts an imposing, unmistakable image anywhere. It is more than seven inches wider than the base F-150 and features distinctive marker lamps that are well-integrated into the front end as opposed to on top of the cab. When lit, Raptor’s imposing stance is immediately recognizable.

Ford ran a race version of the F-150 SVT Raptor in the grueling 41st Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in November 2008, finishing third in the “Class 8” category. The pickup was entered into the race to test the durability and performance of the production version, to ensure that it is the ultimate OEM off-road performance truck. If the winning bidder does not want to put the truck through the rigorous paces of the Baja 1000, the point is, he or she could.

Visitors to the 38th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., can sign up for an on-site off-road ride in the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor with a veteran desert-racing driver.

Ford Racing Mustang Cobra Jet

How cool would it be to own a drag racer with a hood signed by the legendary John Force and other drag racing stars? Here’s your chance. The Mustang FR500CJ, known simply as the Cobra Jet, adds drag racing to the line of race-ready Mustang race cars.

For those interested in NHRA sportsmen drag racing, the Cobra Jet offers an affordable vehicle that can compete right off the truck and run in the 10-second range.

Designed by Ford Racing engineers, the Cobra Jet features a 400-hp 5.4-liter supercharged engine with a standard 6-speed manual transmission and a drag race wheel/tire combination. The Cobra Jet is NHRA-legal to 10.00 second ETs and has an NHRA Stock Eliminator legal interior and is approximately 3,300 lbs. The Cobra Jet also showcases a unique trim and appearance design and includes an optional graphics kit to distinguish itself. Offered for auction is a Cobra Jet coupe with the 6-speed manual transmission.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 224,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit http://www.ford.com.

About the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company

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 Collector Car Auctions™” in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla. and Las Vegas. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694.