If you weren’t one of the lucky 137 people to get their hands on a 2015 Shelby GT350, well then you’re out of luck, as every one of the 2015 models is already spoken for. But don’t fret, because the 2016 Shelby GT350 is right around the corner, and you can be one of the first to own a fresh Shelby, if you don’t mind bidding against your other deep-pocketed peers.
Gooding & Company will auction off a brand new 2016 Shelby GT350 at its Pebble Beach auction on August 15th, and the proceeds will benefit the Military Service Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute. The dashboard has been signed by G.W. Bush, and Jay Leno will handle the auction, and we’re sure if you ask nicely he’d be willing to sign your Shelby too. “This is one of the most exotic engines ever produced by a major American manufacturer plus the fact that it’s going into the most American of cars,” said Jay Leno. “I am proud to help auction this car off where the proceeds will go to helping our veterans.”
This 2016 GT350 is expected to bring between $75,000 and $100,000 when the hammer falls, well above the MSRP. However, that’s still a far cry from the $1,000,000 raised for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation by auctioning off the first 2015 GT350R. With the GT350 offering 526 horsepower from its 5.2 liter flat-plane V8 and 429 lb-ft of torque, it’s been tweaked and tuned specifically for track performance, while still offering a certain amount of streetability.
No doubt many of these modern classics will wind up hidden in private collections, and this one signed by a former President will almost certainly suffer the same fate. But it’s all in pursuit of a noble cause, and it’s hard to be upset about that.