Ford revealed a new generation of the Mustang last September, the nameplate’s seventh iteration which we’ll see in showrooms this summer as a 2024 model.
The first example, the one with a VIN ending in 001, will be sold much earlier, however. Ford on Monday confirmed the rights to the car—it hasn’t actually been built yet—will be put up for sale at Barrett-Jackson’s auction scheduled for Jan. 28 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
All proceeds will be donated to JDRF, a charity that supports the fight against diabetes. This will make it the third time Ford has offered up the rights to the first example of a new Mustang generation via a charity auction. The automaker has also sold the rights to first examples of special-edition Mustangs like the most recent Shelby GT500, Mach 1, and Bullitt. It’s not unusual for bids to enter seven-figure territory during such sales.
The first example of the seventh-generation Mustang is confirmed to be a Mustang GT. This means the lucky buyer will receive a car fitted with a 5.0-liter V-8 tuned to deliver 480 hp in standard guise or 486 hp with an available active exhaust option. The exhaust is part of a Performance Pack that also adds Recaro seats. The buyer will also be able to choose between a 6-speed manual transmission or 10-speed auto.
2024 Ford Mustang
Other Mustangs that will be available at this summer’s market launch will be the 315-hp Mustang EcoBoost and new Mustang Dark Horse. The Dark Horse shares the Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter V-8 but gets a 500-hp tune.
The Dark Horse isn’t actually a single model but a new performance series. In addition to the track-focused but street-legal regular Dark Horse, there will also be a track-only Dark Horse S and race-ready Dark Horse R. Ford hasn’t provided specs or timing for these track-only variants.