Ford and drifting champ Vaughn Gittin Jr. have unveiled the one-off Eagle Squadron Mustang GT at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The special Ford Mustang charged up the hill at the festival before it heads to the auction block on July 26.
The Eagle Squadron Mustang GT is inspired by the Eagle Squadron, a group of U.S. volunteer pilots who flew combat missions alongside the Royal Air Force over Europe from British airfields near Goodwood prior to the United States entering World War II. The special Mustang will be auctioned off at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s largest fundraiser, The Gathering on July 26 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The benefits from the auction will raise money for the EAA’s youth education programs.
“Supporting young pilots through the Experimental Aircraft Association’s fund-raising auction reflects Ford’s aviation history, tracing back to the company’s early days and the arsenal of democracy during World War II,” said Darrell Behmer, Ford Mustang design chief. “The Eagle Squadron Mustang GT build with Vaughn and the Ford design team is a great way to honor our heroes and keep the spirit of aviation alive for the next generation of American pilots.”
This year marks the 20th year Ford has supported the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture event and the 10th one-off Mustang it has provided for auction.
On the outside the Eagle Squadron Mustang GT is painted in a camouflaged theme to match the original Eagle Squadron Spitfire aircraft. It also features a carbon fiber wide-body kit, front turning vanes, dive planes, rocker splitters and lower grille diffusers.
Under the hood, a Ford Performance supercharger kit has been bolted on to the 5.0-liter V8 giving the engine a whopping 700 horsepower and 610 lb-ft. of torque. The V8 engine is mated to a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission with a Ford Performance short shifter. Lastly an RTR Tactical Performance Suspension Package has been added and RTR Aero 7 two-piece 20-inch forged wheels.
Inside there are Recaro racing seats with embroidered Eagle Squadron logo, a unique hand-engraved shift knob made from metal melted down from an F-35 Lightning, and a one-of-one hand-engraved badge made from Spitfire aluminum.
Source: Ford
