To raise some money for charity and also offer its clients a track-ready Mustang, Ford unveiled a special edition called “Ole Yeller” Mustang, that will be donated and sold via auction at the Gathering of Eagles charity event, the ninth straight year Ford has donated a car.
Seen from outside, the Ford “Ole Yeller” Mustang features a custom yellow exterior finish with “Ole Yeller” accents and badging, unique carbon fiber components and mirrors projecting images of the aircraft. The interior incorporates specially designed Recaro seats, sill plates, floor mats with unique logos and aviation inspired gauges.
Derived from the Shelby GT350® Mustang, it features a 5.2L Ti-VCT V8 engine with Flat Plane Crank. This way it boasts the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine Ford has ever produced. The Shelby GT350 generates 526 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. This powerhouse is mated to a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission and features a specially tuned sport suspension, making it the most track-ready, road-legal Mustang ever produced.
“Ole Yeller,” with its bright, eye-catching yellow exterior, is one of the most recognizable P-51D Mustangs in the world. It still holds the prop plane record for coast-to-coast travel at 5 hours and 20 minutes, set in 1985. R. A. “Bob” Hoover, known as a pilot’s pilot, will be forever linked with “Ole Yeller.” Hoover is widely considered the founding father of modern aerobatics and thrilled airshow fans piloting “Ole Yeller” for more than 20 years. In 1997, Hoover sold "Ole Yeller" to his good friend John Bagley of Rexburg, Idaho. "Ole Yeller" still flies frequently and is based at the Legacy Flight Museum in Rexburg, Idaho.
