George W Bush's Ford F-150 pickup truck has sold in order to raise funds for the Fisher House Foundation, as part of Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction.
|
Held between January 19-20 at the Arizona collector car event, Barrett-Jackson's auction was highlighted by the sale of the original Batmobile, which brought $4.6m. Bush's 2009 F-150 King Ranch 4x4 SuperCrew had less appeal for collectors, yet still raised $300,000 for America's military families.
In total, this year's Scottsdale auctions saw $223m worth of classic cars sold over five days, showing a 21.7% increase from the $184m sales seen in 2012. See more results from Scottsdale in our Classic Cars news section.
Prior to the Barrett-Jackson sale, Bush's truck had never left his Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas and was in superb condition. The former president commented: "I haven't driven on a street in many, many years, but I have been able to drive this truck on my ranch."
|
Bush added his signature to the right airbag panel to increase the value of his pickup. It was accompanied in the sale by a video of him driving the truck around the Texas ranch.
The truck's technical specifications are truly worthy of a president, with a 5.4 litre V8 engine that produces 310 hp. Boasting an 11,200 lbs towing capacity, the Ford combines functionality with luxury, also featuring the King Ranch premium leather interior.
Also starring at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction was the first 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray, which made a surprise appearance and sold for $1.1m. Sign up to Paul Fraser Collectibles' free weekly newsletter for more of the latest news and investment advice from the classic car community.