High tech, high energy lineup for 2009 includes The Doobie Brothers, free Mustang Monday, nightly "Fly-In" Theater, Mustang Stampede car show, one-of-a-kind Mustang AV-X10 auction, Fiesta Movement, and Model T experience
DEARBORN, Mich., July 23, 2009 – Ford Motor Company returns to Oshkosh, Wisc. in 2009 to begin its second decade as the exclusive automotive sponsor for EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh, the world’s greatest aviation celebration. Ford brings some of the latest advances in automobile technology and many of the industry’s most revered classics to the popular “Ford Hangar” at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. Ford joins other key sponsors in bringing first-rate entertainment and attractions to the exciting annual meeting of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). EAA AirVenture Oshkosh takes place July 27 to Aug. 2.
EAA AirVenture 2009 will feature 10,000 aircraft, including 2,500 show planes, and is expected to attract more than 500,000 aviation enthusiasts from more than 70 countries. Among the aircraft on display will be EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor, one of only three operational models of the classic airplane in the world. All Ford events and attractions are free and open to all EAA AirVenture attendees. Ford offers a special Partner Recognition vehicle purchase plan to EAA members.
“The hundreds of thousands of aviation fans who make the trip to Oshkosh are an outstanding group that shares Ford Motor Company’s appreciation for cutting edge technology, whether it be cruising on a highway or streaking across the sky,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of Ford’s Board of Directors. “EAA AirVenture is the perfect forum for our company to express its admiration for aviation and to celebrate our strong connection to the industry. I look forward this event every year.”
Aviation-Inspired One-Off Mustang AV-X10 Auction
The Mustang AV-X10 "Dearborn Doll" is Build #1 of 1 and will be a collector’s dream vehicle. It will be sold at auction during EAA AirVenture Thursday, July 30 at the Gathering of Eagles to benefit EAA’s Young Eagles, which has provided free introductory flights to nearly 1.3 million young people since 1992 while also teaching the value of hard work, personal responsibility and enhanced math and science skills.
The AV-X10 utilizes the 2010 Mustang GT Glass Roof model as the starting point. From there the car takes on its one-of-a-kind personality. Ford Racing performance modifications (Supercharger, Handling Pack, tuned exhaust, and exhaust tips) help generate 550-horsepower from the aluminum block 4.6L 24-valve engine.
AV-X10’s stunning design theme includes exclusive Satin Silver exterior paint with yellow nose cone and rear wing; white gloss accents and the "Dearborn Doll" pin-up art pay homage to famous aircraft of the WWII era such as the P-51 Mustang.
The aviation-inspired interior features Bader "worn" leather with khaki shaded, diamond tucked seat and door trim panel inserts. Ford Racing Pyrometer, Boost, and Fuel Pressure gauges, plus unique "Ground Speed" and AV-X10 cluster graphics complete the package.
Enhancing the value and allure of the vehicle, the Mustang AV-X10 "Dearborn Doll" will also feature autographs from aviation legends and celebrities attending EAA AirVenture, which could include Harrison Ford, Edsel B. Ford II, Jack Roush, Carroll Shelby and others. The vehicle will be on display at the Ford Hangar at EAA AirVenture, beginning July 27.
F-150 Raptor Simulator
AirVenture attendees can immerse themselves in the experience of driving a truck built to excel in the most extreme conditions, right in the Ford Hangar, with the Ford F-150 Raptor high-end driving simulator. Available for free to AirVenture guests, the simulator will allow visitors to experience Raptor in its element – racing across the desert. It pivots on four axes: tipping forward, backward, moving side-to-side and up and down, with the ability to spin 180 degrees. Actual engine recordings from the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor R race truck enhance the experience. Bumps and jolts occur when the driver goes off-course to ensure a realistic ride.
“If we can’t put people in a Raptor at a show, we can put them in the next best thing so they can see what it’s like,” said Brian Bell, Ford’s F-150 consumer marketing manager. “We want people to understand the unique capability of this truck and that it can do things that other trucks just can’t.”
Mustang Monday and Mustang Stampede Car Show
New this year, any driver arriving at Wittman Regional Airport Monday, July 27 in a Ford Mustang will receive free admission to EAA AirVenture courtesy of Ford Motor Company. “Mustang Monday” is expected to attract aviation enthusiasts and fans of the iconic automobile from far and wide.
Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, EAA AirVenture guests can also view some of the most carefully preserved classic Ford Mustang vehicles in the world in the event’s first classic car show, the Mustang Stampede. The show will feature cars from Mustang clubs across the Midwest.
Fiesta Movement Ride and Drive
Aviation fans attending EAA AirVenture will be have the opportunity to join a very select group of individuals to test drive the 2011 Ford Fiesta. Test drives will be available for free at the Fiesta Movement traveling display from Thursday, July 30 to Saturday, August 1 at the EAA Museum on the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport. EAA AirVenture will be one of the final stops on the Fiesta Movement tour. Details on the Fiesta Movement are available at www.fiestamovement.com.
One of Motor Trend’s "Gotta Have Cars" for 2010, the Ford Fiesta will make a bold statement on the American road. In Europe, the Fiesta name has been synonymous with outstanding performance, design and value for over 30 years and millions of miles. The new Ford Fiesta takes that three-decade heritage to a new level with eye-catching styling and exemplary driving dynamics for U.S. consumers.
Model T Ride Experience
Henry Ford’s Model T revolutionized the consumer automobile industry when it hit the market in 1908. More than one hundred years later, thousands of EAA AirVenture attendees will join Ford in celebrating the innovation by partaking in a parade of fully-functional Model Ts, browsing an incredible collection of the vehicles, and taking rides in any of several Model Ts on site with members of the Model T Ford Club of America.
The Doobie Brothers Rock on Opening Day
Ford will present legendary American blues/rock band The Doobie Brothers as the EAA AirVenture opening day feature performance, free of charge to all AirVenture guests that day. The Doobie Brothers will take the stage at approximately 6:00 p.m. July 27 at the AeroShell Square, adjacent to the Ford Hangar. With more than 22 million albums sold nationwide since the band first hit the music scene in the 1970s, The Doobie Brothers are known for “blues-based songs with a rock edge, often with lush vocal harmonies.”
Ford to Present the “Fly-In Theater”
Ford Motor Company is the presenting sponsor again this year of the EAA AirVenture "Fly-In Theater." With generous support from Hamilton Watch, the open-air Fly-In Theater will offer evening family entertainment for attendees. Located adjacent to EAA’s Camp Scholler camping area, each evening at approximately 8:30 p.m., tens of thousands of patrons will watch free aviation-themed movies on the theater’s five-story screen, complete with night sky seating. Each feature will be introduced by a celebrity presenter, with actor and EAA Young Eagles Chairman Harrison Ford on site to welcome fans the evening of July 29, prior to a free screening of his film “Six Days Seven Nights.”
Other Attractions
Visitors to the Ford Hangar, in the heart of the EAA AirVenture campus, will have the opportunity to engage in various interactive exhibits, demonstrating the latest Ford “Smart,” “Quality,” “Green,” and “Safe” innovations, all guided by Hangar Master Narrator “Hank” the Robot. Featured attractions include the Mustang Corral mechanical bronco, Race the Ford Fusion Gran Prix slot cars, Motorcraft “Holeshot Challenge” drag race simulator, Quality Care Crew Challenge, Ford Racing vehicles, the new 2010 Ford Taurus SHO, Transit Connect, Fusion Hybrid, MKS EcoBoost and 2011 Ford Fiesta production vehicles to examine up close and personally.
The Ford Hangar will also serve as “Autograph HQ” with celebrity aviation enthusiasts and aviation legends and other special guests on site at various times throughout the course of the event, interacting with fans and signing autographs.
For more information on EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009, visit www.AirVenture.org.
Ford and Flight: A History of Firsts
Ford Motor Company’s historical connection to air transportation will be evident throughout the automobile manufacturer’s presence at EAA AirVenture. Ford’s association with flight dates back all the way to the company’s beginnings in 1903, the same year as the Wright brothers’ historic flight. Ford’s history in aviation includes a period in which the company was the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer.
After World War I, having already put the nation on wheels, Henry Ford decided to take the United States into the air, and in 1925 built the first Ford Tri-Motor airplane. The Tri-Motor was the first to be used by the country’s commercial airlines. Nicknamed the “Tin Goose,” it was also the United States’ first all-metal, multi-engine transport. The first Ford Airlines flight took off in 1925 and in 1926 made the first domestic airmail flight for the U.S. Government.
Henry Ford’s efforts paved the way for modern commercial air travel, including the construction of the world’s first modern airport and first concrete runway. Henry Ford also brought the famed assembly line production system to aviation in World War II, as Ford produced one B-24 Liberator bomber per hour at the height of need by Allied forces. In 1984, Henry Ford was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and in 2002, was recognized as one of only 12 aviation pioneers by the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 205,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
