Ford unveiled a new generation of the Mustang last September, the seventh iteration of the nameplate, which we’ll see in showrooms this summer as the 2024 model.
However, the first example, the one with a chassis number ending in 001, is sold much earlier. Ford confirmed Monday that the rights to the car — it hasn’t actually been built yet — will be up for sale at the Barrett-Jackson auction scheduled for Jan. 28 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
All proceeds are donated to JDRF, a charity supporting the fight against diabetes. This is the third time that Ford has sold the rights to the first example of a new Mustang generation through a charity auction. The automaker has also sold the rights to first examples of special edition Mustangs like the latest Shelby GT500, Mach 1 and Bullitt. It’s not uncommon for such sales to see bids in the seven figures.
The first example of the seventh generation Mustang is confirmed as the Mustang GT. That means the lucky buyer will get a car outfitted with a 5.0-liter V8 tuned to produce 480hp in standard specification, or 486hp with an available active exhaust option. The exhaust is part of a performance package that also adds Recaro seats. The buyer can also choose between a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic transmission.
2024 Ford Mustang
Other Mustangs available at launch this summer include the 315hp Mustang EcoBoost and the new Mustang Dark Horse. The Dark Horse shares the Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter V-8 but gets a 500-horsepower tune.
The Dark Horse is actually not a single model, but a new performance series. In addition to the track-focused but street-legal regular Dark Horse, there will also be a track-only Dark Horse S and a race-ready Dark Horse R. Ford did not provide specifications or timings for these track-only variants.
