003: Licensed to Thrill This is the final year of production for the fabulous Ford GT, and the automaker plans to ride one of the last GTs from the factory to a little PR glory. "We picked one that had some heritage," said spokeswoman Whitney Drake. The GT has a low vehicle identification number of 003 – something collectors prize – and the visors have been signed by Ford Motor Co. chairman Bill Ford and Texas racing legend Carroll Shelby. Proceeds from the sale will go to Mr. Shelby's Children's Foundation, which helps children who have heart problems or need organ and tissue transplants. At 83, Mr. Shelby – who created the Ford Cobra and Shelby Mustangs in the 1960s – is the world's oldest and longest-living double organ recipient. He received a heart in 1990 and a kidney in 1996. In January, at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., an unidentified bidder paid $600,000 for the right to buy the first 2007 Shelby GT500 Mustang coupe. Proceeds from that sale were also donated to Mr. Shelby's foundation. The 550-horsepower Ford GT is one of America's "blue-collar" exotics – a tiny group that also includes the Z06 Corvette and Dodge Viper. Automotive journalists have heaped praise on the midengine super car, which was produced in limited numbers and outran the Viper and the newer Z06 in one recent magazine comparison. "Depending on how this one sells at the auction, we hope to raise a total of $1 million for the Shelby foundations," Ms. Drake said. Ford Motor Co. Proceeds from the auction of a 550-horsepower Ford GT, with a vehicle identification number of 003, will go to Carroll Shelby's Children's Foundation. Next month, Ford will send a silver 2005 model GT to the Barrett-Jackson Inc. Auction in Palm Beach. The car has about 5,300 miles on it and was used for special displays, in car shows and to ferry VIPs around. http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/bus/stories/DN-BCGT_11bus.ART.State.Edition1.f4ebf87.html
