| Roush P51 Mustang Auction |
Roush Performance, in partnership with the Ford Motor Company, is going to put the very last production
2008 Roush P-51A Ford Mustang under the gavel of the
Barrett Jackson Collector Car Auction in West Palm Beach, FL. The car,
number 151 in a limited production run of 151, will be sold on Saturday,
March 29 with proceeds going to the Salute to Education Scholarship
charity.
“Number 151 is a pretty significant car for Roush considering the
total inventory of Roush P-51A Mustangs basically sold out within 24
hours when the dealer order banks were opened up,” said Joe Thompson,
general manager of Roush Performance. “Whoever ends up with this car
will truly acquire a part of Roush history.”
Jack Roush, the motorsports legend, NASCAR team owner, and aviation
enthusiast who owns and flies his own World War II P-51 fighter planes,
will be in attendance personally overseeing the bidding on the highest
horsepower Mustang that Roush Performance has every built. He is flying
in from the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Matinsville (Va.) Speedway
specifically for the auction.
Shown in the Barrett Jackson catalog as lot number 667, the Roush P-51A
is expected to be seen going under the gavel live during the SPEED
Channel television broadcast that evening.
“It is for a very worthwhile cause that we are putting up this Roush
P-51A Mustang,” said Jack Roush. “I am proud of the work that the
Roush engineers put into the development, I am proud of the finished
vehicle, and I am proud that we can help to support the Salute to
Education with the proceeds from the auction.”
The Roush P-51A is easily the highest horsepower Mustang that the
company has ever produced, and represents the first time that internal
engine components have been upgraded by Roush technicians in their
Livonia, Mich., facility. The stock Ford 4.6L, 3V engine sees a rebuild
of several of the functional internal components, including a forged
steel eight-bolt crankshaft, forged aluminum pistons with increased dish
to lower the compression from 9:8 to 8:6, and forged steel H-Beam
connecting rods. These upgraded parts were necessary for the stock Ford
engine (which comes with 300 horsepower from the factory) to be able to
withstand the additional power generated from the newest iteration of
the legendary Roushcharger™ supercharger system.
Additional alterations include a custom aluminum upper and lower intake
manifold for the high capacity air-to-water intercooler and
Roushcharger. Roush installs a custom fuel rail and high-flow fuel
injectors, a high-flow capacity fuel system, as well as a dual
electronic throttle body. The new Roush P51A engine has a rating of 510
horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. torque. As with all Roush vehicles, the P-51A
has an industry-leading 3 year/36,000 mile warranty.
As an interesting side note, the yellow and red accent colors on the
vehicle come from those used by the 357th Fighters Group, Eighth Air
Force ETO (European Theater Operations) who were unofficially known as
“The Yoxford Boys” after a village near their base. Its victory
totals in air-to-air combat are the most of any P-51 group in the Eighth
Air Force and third among all groups fighting in Europe. The 357th flew
313 combat missions between February 11, 1944 and April 25, 1945 and is
officially credited by the US Air Force with having destroyed 595.5
German airplanes in the air and 106.5 on the ground. Pilots in this
group included Captain Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson who flew a P51
named “Old Crow.” One of Roush’s personal P-51 fighters is painted
as a replica of this airplane.
The Salute to Education Scholarship is awarded to high school seniors
who demonstrate community service, academic achievement, leadership and
strong educational and career goals. Ford Motor Company, participating
Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers, and Ford Motor Credit fund the program
which has helped thousands of students realize their dream for a college
or university education.
Participating Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers and Ford Motor Company
have distributed more than $11 million in scholarships and educational
grants in communities in Texas, California and Florida.
“Ford and the South Florida Ford Dealers are excited to partner with
Roush Performance on this auction to benefit the Ford Salute to
Education Scholarship Program. The P-51A Mustang is a real show stopper
and will generate huge excitement at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach bringing
substantial money to the scholarship fund,” explained Kevin Giacomini,
regional sales manager of Ford, Lincoln Mercury Sales Operations Orlando
Region.
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Mustangs at Barrett Jackson 2008
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