Auctions like the massive Barrett-Jackson event that recently wrapped up in Scottsdale, Arizona draw high-dollar collector cars and deep-pocketed buyers. Among the better-known rides going up for sale was the Ford F-100 pickup designed in part by Gene Simmons. Combining elements of Ford’s classic pickup with modern design cues from the latest Shelby GT500, a lot of time, effort, and money went into making this unique ride.
All of that paid off this weekend, when Simmons and his wife were on hand for the auction of this unique truck, with the proceeds benefiting the Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan. Motor Authority reports that the final bid was $450,000 as the hammer fell, a tremendous sum for this Shelby-inspired pickup.
No doubt the charitable nature of this auction helped influence buyers, who paid many times more than what this truck was likely worth. Not that it was a cheap ride, mind you, it’s just Ford has worked so much value into a vehicle like the Shelby GT500, that you can source a lot of impressive go-fast parts for comparatively little money.
For example, the supercharged 5.4 liter V8 under the hood makes 550 horsepower without ever lifting a finger to tune it, backed by a six-speed manual transmission. Other Shelby inspired parts, like the interior and sorta-awkward front fascia, definitely made it feel like the kind of truck Carroll Shelby himself might approve of. And with nearly a half-million dollars raised for charity, who’s really going to complain?