Just as Chevrolet did with the first production 2014 Corvette Stingray, Ford also announced that the first retail unit of the all-new 2015 Mustang will be sold at Barrett-Jackson’s auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, on January 18, 2014. The car will be offered at no reserve, with all proceeds to benefit JDRF, a global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.

The winning bidder of Lot No. 3010 will be able to choose a manual or automatic transmission as well as any interior, exterior and stripe color combination offered on the new 2015 Mustang GT that is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 420 horsepower and 390 lb-ft (528 Nm) of torque.

The car will be signed by the team involved in Mustang design and development in appreciation of the donation to JDRF. The Mustang is scheduled for delivery after production of the new model year begins.

“We’re thrilled to be able to take advantage of Mustang’s popularity to help achieve the dream of ending juvenile diabetes,” said Steve Ling, North America car marketing manager for Ford.

“Ford Mustangs have always been among the most popular collector cars at Barrett-Jackson Collector Car events,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson Auction Company. “While every collector wishes they had snapped up the first Mustang sold in 1964, this is an opportunity to realize that dream in a different way,” he added.

Each 2015 model celebrates 50 years of the Mustang with a badge showing the galloping pony logo and the words, “Mustang – Since 1964.”

By Dan Mihalascu

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