It’s that time of year again. Time for another special edition Ford Mustang that will be auctioned off to raise money for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s youth education programs.
The Blue Oval’s been doing it since 2008. Last year’s GT-based Apollo Edition generated $230,000 for the programs which, according to Ford, “inspire young people to become engineers, aviators, astronauts, scientists and innovators.”
This year’s “Ole Yeller” Mustang pays homage to the famous P-51D Mustang of the same name, which flew coast-to-coast in 5 hours and 20 minutes in 1985, setting the still-unbroken record for prop planes. R. A. “Bob” Hoover, considered the founding father of modern aerobatics, flew “Ole Yeller” through breath-taking routines for more than 20 years at air shows.
The automotive version of “Ole Yeller” is based on the Shelby GT350 Mustang. No performance enhancements have been made to its 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank V8, so output stays at 526 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. The custom yellow exterior features “Ole Yeller” badges and accents, carbon fiber components, and mirrors that project images of the plane that inspired this four-wheeled fundraiser. In the cockpit, there are special Recaro seats, sill plates, floor mats with unique logos, gauges inspired by aircraft, and the GT350’s six-speed manual gearbox.
Look for the “Ole Yeller” Mustang to fly across the auction block at the Gathering of Eagles charity event on July 28 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
