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Apollo 17 was the last mission to the moon in 1972, when Richard Nixon was still president and Ford was still building bloated versions of the Mustang. But while the Mustang is still in production, NASA hasn’t even tried to put another man on the moon, focusing instead on its efforts with reusable space shuttles and the International Space Station.
We think it’s time to change that, and we’re not alone. In an effort to encourage a new generation of space pioneers, Ford Motor Company has donated a unique 2015 “Apollo Edition Mustang” to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). This space-themed pony car will be auctioned off to benefit the non-profit’s youth programs, instilling the desire to explore the boundless depths of our universe and help humanity spread across the stars.
“The Ford Apollo Edition Mustang salutes man’s greatest technological achievement, with the ingenuity, precision, and power that defined the spirit of American innovation,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of the Ford Board of Directors. “Inspired by the Apollo program, Ford Motor Company committed itself to including exhilarating power, cutting-edge technology, and extraordinary craftsmanship in this automobile, which will support the next generation of pilots in EAA’s aviation education programs for young people.”
Ford has a long history of supporting flying
The Mustang has a long and proud history with aviation, even deriving its name from the P-51 Mustang fighter planes that wrested control of European skies from Germany during World War II. There have been numerous aviation-themed Mustangs built for a wide variety of reasons, celebrating not just the P-51 but also planes like the SR-71 BLackbird and the Tuskegee airmen.
But now it’s time to look beyond the skies and towards the stars. A new generation of dreamers is already hard at work preparing for the first manned mission to Mars, and Ford is doing it’s small part to encourage their efforts. The Apollo Edition Mustang will be auctioned off on July 23rd at the EAA’s annual Gathering of Eagles at its AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
