Someone paid $295,000 for this Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 named Ole Yeller. It’s design pays homage to a famous P-51D Mustang fighter plane that was a regular at air shows thanks to talented pilot and veteran Bob Hoover.
The design and engineering teams at Ford Motor Company manufactured a one-of-a-kind, aviation-inspired Mustang GT350 called “Ole Yeller”. Recently, this was sold for $295,000 at the Gather of Eagles charity to Hank Menke, president and CEO of OFS Brands in Huntingburg, IN, where all proceeds from the car donation and sale benefit the youth education programs of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), including the Young Eagles, which has provided free introductory flights to 2 million young people since 1992.
“This year’s one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang honors two aviation greats, the iconic and historic P-51D Mustang fighter plane, and highly decorated fighter pilot, test pilot, and air show performer, Bob Hoover, who is referred to by many as one of the greatest pilots ever to have lived,” Edsel B. Ford II, a member of the Ford board of directors, told Pursuitist. “The Shelby GT350 Mustang, with its nimbleness, speed and aerodynamics, provided us with the perfect platform to create this tribute to the P-51D aircraft.”
The Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang is the 9th one-of-a-kind vehicle created by Ford for the auction in support of EAA youth education, and the vehicular donations by Ford for these events have raised more than $3 million.
The custom Mustang was designed by a team led by Ford designers Melvin Betancourt and Nicole Rush. Many of the modifications, which include carbon fiber components, Forgiato wheels and custom Recaro seats, were performed by MAD Industries, led by Chris Mangum.
