Jerry Hammes.com [Logo]   Picture of Jerry Hammes

Tuskegee Airmen - 2012

[Back to topic list] [Back to 1964 Ford Pace Car Topic]


RED TAILS MUSTANG PAYS TRIBUTE TO BLACK AIRMEN

One-of-a-kind sports car to be auctioned for young aviators

By Frank Witsil Free Press Business Writer
A one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang inspired by the World War II squadron of African-American P51 Mustang pilots will be auctioned Thursday in Oshkosh, Wis., to raise money for young aviators. It's too late to get in on the bidding, but some design details are worth noting.
The Ford Mustang GT 5.0-liter glass-roof coupe commemorates the contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen.
The Tuskegee Airmen made up the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group during WWII. The squadron of pilots was the U.S.' first African-American military airmen.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Experimnetal Aircraft Association's Young Eagles orginization.
"The perseverance and excellence displayed by the Tuskegee Airmen are qualities we also celebrate at Ford," Edsel B. Ford II, a member of Ford's board of directors, said in a news release. "With this year's beautiful 'Red Tails' edition Mustang, we've captured the recognizable symbols in honor of their important role in our history, and paired it with the innovation our Ford design and engineering teams build into all of our products."
The VIN for the car is 00051 in honor of the P51 Mustang planes.
It has a Ford Racing 2.3-liter twin-screw Whipple supercharger and side exhaust and 20-inch aftermarket wheels. The exterior showcases polished aluminum nonproduction finish paint, accented with Race Red and School Bus Yellow, colors used on the P51 fighter plane's red tail cues and the logos.
And inside, the car includes a modified navigation screen and instrument cluster. The car's seats include an embroidered Red Tailos logo and floor mats embroidered with the 332nd Fighter Group logo.

T-Plex
Aeroplanes
Brannan-Hammes
Cars
Dealerships
Family Tree
Hammes Archives
Links