Ford to Auction First Shelby GT350

2015 Shelby GT350 Mustang (Credit: Ford)

Ford has a habit of auctioning off the first production version of its hot new cars, we’re not talking about the Fiesta. Some lucky person will be able to purchase the Shelby GT350 before anyone else, a car that promises blistering performance and a revolutionary engine that puts out over 500 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. If you want a crack at the car, show up at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in Arizona on January 17th. Look for lot No. 3008 and be prepared to go big, because Ford’s pony cars typically do quite well in these auctions. But if you can afford it, the money goes to charity and you get a warm squishy feeling while powering down the road. The proceeds from the sale of the GT350 will go to JDRF, which backs Type 1 Diabetes research. The first 2015 Ford Mustang GT went for a cool $300,000 at auction, so the GT350 should go for quite a bit more. Instead of selling a built-out GT350, Ford is selling the right to have one of the cars built to the buyer’s preference. That means the color, options and packages aren’t set in stone and can be specified in whatever way. That leaves a considerable amount of room for customization and personal expression. Even if you don’t want to bid on the GT350, there will be ride-and-drives during the auction, which Ford is putting on. That means members of the public will be able to try out the full line of 2015 Ford models, like the Edge or Fusion, both of which have essentially nothing in common with the Shelby GT350 but will be infinitely more practical and affordable.