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The custom Mustang GT was built by Ford and Roush Performance, and it was inspired by U.S. Army Air Force Col. Bud Anderson.

The Ford Motor Company and the Roush industry do not collaborate often. However, anytime it does, expect a unique endeavor. This time, these two top-rated American companies collaborated to create a high-performance vehicle in honor of one of the US Army Air Force veterans, Col. Bud Anderson.

Notably, Col. Anderson served in Europe during World War II and achieved more than 16 aerial victories. Throughout his career, he flew 116 combat missions and was never hit by enemy fire. He earned more than 25 decorations, including the Bronze Star, a distinguished Flying Cross, and an Air Medal in recognition of his selfless service.

Mustang decided to pay homage to this exceptional colonel and other war heroes by building this one-off racer. Ford had a grand concept when they decided to manufacture this Mustang. For the twelfth time, in July 2019, Ford and Roush auctioned its special Ford Mustang GT to donate in support of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) youth and aviation program.

Here are some details on the modified Ford Mustang GT.

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The origin of the name "old crow" is not from Ford. The esteemed veteran, Col. Anderson flew P-51 Mustang fighter planes while serving. These planes were then nicknamed "old crow" by his colleagues.

Since the airplanes that this one-off Mustang was themed after had an unusual nickname, this special edition Mustang naturally carried on the unique nickname of those aircraft. The moniker "Old Crow" shows that this road-going Mustang does not only pay tribute to the P51 with its looks but also with its name.

Although this collaboration was built based on the Ford Mustang model, some unique features distinguish the "old crow" Mustang GT. One of these features is its engine. Themed after an airplane, Its engine received a supercharger with greater performance than the standard Mustang model.

Its 5.0-liter V8 engine's TVS R2650 supercharger increases output to 710 horsepower and 610 lb.-ft. of torque. The ancient crow boasts a whopping 250 horsepower more than the high-performance 2019 Ford Mustang.

Additionally, Ford equipped this high-performance Mustang with an X pipe that connects to a Ford Performance active exhaust system and a Roush Performance cold air intake.

The "old crow" exterior design makes it one of the coolest Ford mustangs of all time. It blends elements from the Ford Mustang and the P51 fighter plane, which is something else to note. The automobile has a specially painted red and yellow hood. It also features a Roush grille and an original eighth air force emblem badge on its lid, designed to resemble the old Colonel's P51 Mustang fighter planes. Meanwhile, the rest of its body is lined in silver and black lines.

Its hood was inscribed with the words "old crow." It also got two front vents that simulate the heat vents from the car. The distinctive look is complemented with a Roush back bumper, a Ford Performance lower front racing spoiler, and a custom exhaust with blue-rainbow-tinted exhaust tips that resemble the exhaust seen on P-51s airplanes.

Ford's special car rolls on 20-inch forged Roush wheels, given the Continental Extremecontact sport tires in 275/35R size.

Its interior has a full-fledged aviation-inspired cabin. This features army-themed green leather for its seats, door panels, and dashboard. Red color adorns its six-speed manual transmission shifter knob and its door handles. Also, P51 lettering sits boldly on its dashboard. The rear seats found on the regular Mustang GT have been removed, and an aluminum rear-seat delete was added in its place, improving its interior looks.

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Ford has continuously donated money to the EAA since 2008 by auctioning vehicles with airplane themes. Its "Old Crow" was the second-highest priced vehicle donated to charity in 2019 after the Mustang AV8R, which sold for $500,000. It was auctioned off at the EAA’s 2019 AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for $400,000.

Ford Motor Company has already contributed more than $4 million to the EAA program. This is one of the largest donations made solely by a motor business to an American aviation group. Ford is also one of the American automakers that donates the most to charitable organizations.

Ford Mustang GT is among the most dependable and rarest models the auto company has ever made. The old crow, which combines the GT with an aviation theme and offers performance virtually on par with the Mustang Shelby GT500, is a brilliant creation that carries the legacy of Col. Anderson's aircraft. Not only has this American Motor Company changed the automobile industry, but it has also left indelible marks in the aviation industry.

OLUWAFEMI Joshua loves to explore the history of the automobile industry and the role of automobiles in popular culture and film.