Ford Motor Company will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Mustang by auctioning the first retail 2010 Shelby GT500 and a pair of Mustang GT concept cars during the Barrett-Jackons Palm Beach Collector Car Auction on April 9-11, 2009.  

The three historic Mustangs will be sold for charity and are among 400-plus collector vehicles to be auctioned at No Reserve during the event at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds. SPEED will provide live, high-definition TV coverage of the auction once again.   
 
“It’s rare for a concept vehicle, especially one as iconic as the Mustang, to be sold to the public,” said Craig Jackson, Chairman/CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Giving enthusiasts an opportunity to take home the ultimate keepsake is an admirable way to mark the 45th anniversary of the Mustang, which will be celebrated a few days after our event.”
 
All proceeds above MSRP from the sale of the Shelby GT500 will be donated to The Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation. The two Mustang concepts will be auctioned to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
 
“During the last three years, Ford and Barrett-Jackson have raised more than $2 million for charity through the auction of Ford vehicles,” noted Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company’s president, The Americas. “Ford and Barrett-Jackson will continue this important tradition at this year's Palm Beach auction. The winning bidders for these fantastic Mustangs will be contributing to worthy causes while purchasing automotive history.”
 
The first 2010 Shelby GT500 features a color scheme and equipment personally chosen by Carroll Shelby. Clad in Kona Blue with white stripes, this GT500 has world-class handling, aggressive styling, and extreme levels of horsepower and torque that are unparalleled in its segment.
 
The two Mustang concepts on the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach docket debuted at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and have traveled to more than 50 auto shows around the world. The fresh design foreshadowed a new direction for the 2005 model year that is still relevant in today’s Mustangs.
  
The Redline Red Metallic GT convertible concept (Lot #655) features a distinct "showbar" with a rim of billet-aluminum trim picking up where the instrument panel and console trim leave off.  The Tungsten Silver coupe concept (Lot #655.1) has a glass roof and red and charcoal leather interior accented by billet-aluminum hardware. 
 
For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit http://www.barrett-jackson.com/ or call 480/421-6694.