5:56 AM
Some versions of the 2010 Mustang feel fast enough to get airborne. And with that in mind, Ford tricked out one of its pony cars with an over-the-top aviation theme and will auction it for charity July 30.
It's called the AV-X10, or “Dearborn Doll,” and is based on a Mustang GT. There is just one of them, and it was created by a team of Ford's top engineers and designers.
Power comes from a supercharged 550-hp, 4.6-liter V8. Ford Racing performance modifications include a handling pack, tuned exhaust and exhaust tips, and the ride height is lowered one inch.
The aviation theme is evident at first glance. The front end and rear wing are painted yellow like the nose and tail of a plane, and the body is silver--similar to a fuselage. The 19-inch Shelby GT500 wheels are silver with yellow propeller tips.
It's nicknamed the “Dearborn Doll” in reference to World War II-era fighter planes, and the car gets white accents to play up the connection to that epic period of aviation. The all-glass roof has an Air Force graphic.
Inside are leather and khaki materials, furthering the cockpit feel. The Mustang will be autographed by a number of car and aviation fans. Ford said the list could include Carroll Shelby, Jack Roush, Harrison Ford and Edsel Ford II.
The car will be sold to benefit the Young Eagles program, a group that inspires aviation among youth. It's part of the Experimental Aircraft Association, which is having its AirVenture Oshkosh event July 27- Aug. 2 in Oshkosh, Wis. It's expected to draw more than 500,000 aviation enthusiasts and 2,500 aircraft.
Another aviation-inspired Mustang, the “AV8R,” raised a record $500,000 in 2008 at the event for the Young Eagles.
“Although it will be hard to top the AV8R, the Ford team is committed to delivering another extraordinary vehicle of interest for all enthusiasts and collectors for EAA's Gathering of Eagles,” Ford board member Edsel Ford II said in a statement.
