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Ford Auctioning Red Tails Mustang GT to Teach Young People to Fly

The car is inspired by the P-51 Mustang as flown by the Tuskegee Airmen

FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
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will be auctioning off a one-off Red Tails edition Mustang GTFord Mustang GT CoupéUnited States of America, 2012 > present4 photos
at AirVenture Oshkosh to benefit the Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles. The chairity provides introductory flights to young people to inspire them to get their pilots' license.

The Red Tails edition is dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen who were a group of African American airmen during World War II who escorted American bombers over Germany. The car is painted in the same livery that the Tuskegee flew under in their P-51 Mustangs.

The outside of the car is painted in polished aluminum paint with Race Red at the front and rear and Schoolbus Yellow accents. It also has United States Army Air Corps and 332nd Fighter Group insignias. The interior has the Red Tails logo embroidered on the seats, 332nd Fighter Group logo on the floor mats, Red Tails logo on the sill plates and the puddle lights illuminate the ground in the Red Tails logo.

The car has the standard 5.0-liter V8 but modified with a 2.3-liter supercharger, handling pack, side exhaust, performance quad rear exhaust from SVT, 20in wheels, GT500 Brembo brakes and rear diffuser.

“With this year’s beautiful ‘Red Tails’ edition Mustang, we’ve captured the recognizable symbols in honor of their important role in our history, and paired it with the innovation our Ford design and engineering teams build into all of our products. Through this project we take great pride in continuing our support for EAA and the Young Eagles organization,” said Edsel Ford II, Ford Board Member.

This is the fifth special edition car that Ford has created for EAA AirVenture, and their sale has raised $1.5 million for the Young Eagles.

Airventure runs from July 23 to 29 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at Wittman Regional Airport. The auction will be on July 26.

The Ford Mustang since 1964

With the Mustang, Ford invented a new automobile class, the “pony car”, and rival brands rushed into production to come up with cars of the same category. The first 18 months of the Mustang’s production stayed in history as the most successful car debut ever. After more than 40 years, the coupé is still being produced and Ford is selling around 150.000 Mustangs each year.

1964 Ford Mustang

In 1964, Ford unveiled their first ever Mustang. It inherited many parts, from other Ford models like the Falcon and Fairlane. Just 5 months after its introduction, the Mustang underwent a facelift and continued to grow heavier and bigger every year. The first generation Mustangs had mid and front engines, with displacements from 2.8 to 7.0 liters. The most basic model made 120hp while the top-of-the-line car delivered 385hp.

1974 Ford Mustang

The second generation Mustang was launched in 1974. After the continuous enlargement of the first generation until 1973, Ford decided to dramatically decrease its size to as close as possible to the original model. Shape and styling, as well as the mechanical features, were all reformulated in order to give the car an appearance that was closer to the 1964 model but with a higher performance.

1979 Ford Mustang

A fresh new Mustang, generation III, came out in 1979. Over the years, improvements were made to the Mustang regarding interior and exterior styling, giving it more comfort and a modernized look. Power was amplified as well throughout the years of production of the Mustang III. Ford also re-added the high-performance Mustang GT variant to the lineup in 1982.

1994 Ford Mustang

15 years past the Mustang’s last major amendment, in 1994, Ford launched its fourth generation. Motor Trend magazine named the Mustang Car of the Year for the third time when its fourth generation debuted. The Mustang IV engines ranged from a basic 3.8-liter to the top-of-the-line 5.4-liter Cobra R. Power output was increased along the years, starting at 145 hp to reach 190 hp for the standard version.

2004 Ford Mustang

Ford introduced the greatly redesigned fifth generation of the Mustang in 2004 at the North American International Auto Show. The refreshed car was an immediate hit in terms of sales. In 2012, the current Mustang received a minor facelift. Improvements include a changed exterior, and the 5.0 liter V8, introduced in 2010, got a power-uprgrade.