(July 25, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — The engineering and design teams at Ford have produced a unique “Blue Angels” edition 2012 Ford Mustang GT. This one-of-a-kind vehicle will be sold at the Gathering of Eagles charity auction Thursday, during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) 2011 AirVenture Oshkosh, the world’s greatest aviation celebration.

All proceeds from the car donation and sale will benefit the EAA Young Eagles organization, which has provided free introductory flights to more than 1.6 million young people since 1992 while also teaching the value of hard work, personal responsibility and enhanced math and science skills.

Ford is the exclusive automotive partner of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, held July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis.

“The precision, discipline and excitement that define the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flight team are qualities we celebrate at Ford,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of Ford’s board of directors. “With this year’s beautiful ‘Blue Angels’ edition Mustang GT, we’ve captured those qualities and paired them with the innovation Ford design and engineering team members build into all of our vehicles. Through this project, we take great pride in continuing our support for EAA and the Young Eagles organization.”

The Ford “Blue Angels” Mustang pays tribute to 100 years of naval aviation, which will be celebrated all week at AirVenture 2011 as part of the show’s Tier 1 event status from the U.S. Navy tied to its yearlong Centennial of Naval Aviation festivities. The car will be on display inside the Ford Hangar throughout EAA AirVenture.

The exterior of Ford’s “Blue Angels” Mustang GT was inspired by the acclaimed naval aviation performance demonstration team and the F-18 Hornet aircraft it flies. The car’s custom rear spoiler’s vertical tailfins, the “screaming yellow” gloss accents, inclusion of the Blue Angels script and crest all are drawn from the Navy aircraft. The unique chrome blue paint, courtesy of Creations n’ Chrome, is unlike anything available on a production vehicle anywhere in the world.

With the Blue Angels crest stitched into its leather Recaro racing seats, the car’s interior also features offset stripes inspired by pilot flight suits.

Under the hood, the “Blue Angels” Mustang is all performance with a Ford Racing supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 624 horsepower. The Ford Racing components also include a handling pack, performance exhaust and racetrack brakes.