The WD-40®/SEMA Cares Mustang is used to raising eyebrows,
but by the time it rolled off the auction block at the 40th
annual Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Show and Auction Jan. 22
in Scottsdale, Ariz., it showed it could also raise big bucks
for charity - more than $200,000.
The 2011 Ford Mustang GT, which features a 5.0-
liter V8 engine that produces nearly 600 horsepower, a custom
body kit, entertainment system, and blue and yellow paint
that emulates the WD-40 brand, was "detailed" on-site with
signatures from baseball great Reggie Jackson, NASCAR legend
Rick Hendrick and actor Tim Allen before bidding began.
Allen brought down the hammer after the vehicle
received a $100,000 online bid and then joined others in
making additional donations beyond the bid amount to raise
more money for the two nonprofit groups. John and Jeanette
Stallupi had the winning bid and will feature the vehicle in
the Cars of Dreams Museum in Palm Beach, Fla.
"We wanted to partner with some of the best in the
business to build a vehicle that helps support worthwhile
causes and honors those who use WD-40," said Tim Lesmeister,
vice president of marketing for WD-40 Company. "We've
accomplished what we set out to do and have created many
positive lasting memories in the process."
This is the second consecutive year WD-40 Company
has partnered with SEMA Cares, the charity arm of the
Specialty Equipment Market Association, to build a custom
vehicle for charity. Last year, the WD-40/SEMA Cares Camaro
sold for $75,000 and benefited the same charities -
Childhelp®, an organization that provides services to abused
and neglected children, and The Victory Junction Gang® Camp,
which provides life-changing camping experiences to special
needs and chronically ill children.
PAGE 2A virtual version of this
year's Mustang was concurrently sold in Nitto 1320 Legends, an online racing game
and social network with more than 1.5 million members, and
raised $10,800 for the same charities.
WD-40 Company and SEMA Cares partnered with a number
of companies on the re-build project, including Street Scene
Equipment, Stillen AP Racing, Forgeline and Paxton.
For more information and a complete list of build partners,
visit wd40.com/mustang-build.
