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George W. Bush's Ford F-150 to be auctionated at this year's Barrett-Jackson

Jeffrey N. Ross — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Auctions, Ford, Celebrities

President George W. Bush was known as much for the many liberties he took with the English language as he was for being a Texan, and, in the latter regard, it is not all that surprising that the 43rd President's truck of choice was a Ford F-150... the key word here, of course, being was. The truck used by the former president around his Crawford, TX ranch, a 2009 Ford F-150 King Ranch 4x4 SuperCrew, will be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson next month with the proceeds of the sale going to the Fisher House Foundation.

President Bush bought the truck new in 2009, and used it to drive around his ranch with families and dignitaries. As a part of the auction, President Bush autographed the instrument panel, and there will also be an accompanying video of him signing and driving the truck. It isn't clear how many miles are on the F-150, but it sounds like not too many, if any, were from driving on public roads.

"I haven't driven on a street in many, many years, but I have been able to drive this truck on my ranch," said President Bush. "I want to thank all those who are supporting the Fisher House. In supporting the Fisher House, you're supporting our veterans. And in supporting our veterans, you're helping America."

More about the Barrett-Jackson auction is posted after the jump.

Continue reading George W. Bush's Ford F-150 to be auctionated at this year's Barrett-Jackson

George W. Bush's Ford F-150 to be auctionated at this year's Barrett-Jackson originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Dec 2012 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition arrives in time for 4th of July

Chris Tutor — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Jeep, Off-Road

The iconic Jeep Wrangler's earliest ancestors were military vehicles that proved their offroad capabilities by shuttling our armed forces through some of the world's most difficult terrain.

Now, 70 years later, that bare-bones, utilitarian vehicle is all grown up and (somewhat) civilized, but no less American. To show off its patriotism, Jeep has just announced a new Freedom package on its 2012 Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited models.

Spotting the new trim packages on the street should be super easy. First, they're only available in three colors: Deep Cherry Red, Bright White and, exclusive to Freedom models, True Blue.

Each Freedom Edition Wrangler receives a military-style star on the hood and rear quarter panels as well as "Oscar Mike" fender badges and "Oscar Mike" stitched in silver on the seats' black, tectonic fabric. "Oscar Mike" is military slang for "On the Move." Silver stitching accents the leather steering wheel, door fabric, seats, grab handle, door pulls and dash vent rings.

Outside are 17-inch Mineral Gray alloys with grille and bumper inserts in matching gray.

Part of the Wrangler Freedom Edition's $28,165 purchase price and the Wrangler Unlimited Freedom's $30,670 goes to charities to benefit America's veterans.

"It is with both pride in our history and gratitude to all those who have served that we have chosen to donate $250 from each Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition to be divided between these important charitable organizations that benefit current and returning military members," says Mike Manley, President and CEO of the Jeep brand.

The first Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition models are rolling into dealers as you read this. Check out the official press release with more info by scrolling down.

Continue reading Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition arrives in time for 4th of July

Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition arrives in time for 4th of July originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay find of the day: '77 Camaro from Transformers

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:33:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions, Chevrolet

Yes, that's right folks. Fresh off of last week's release of this summer's ultimate shift-your-brain-into-neutral, CGI-dominated, action-stuffed, Robogasm, the Transformers crew is auctioning off the 1977 Chevy Camaro that stole the show playing Bumblebee. You can be the envy of car geeks and movie buffs alike, and all for a good cause.

The proceeds of the auction are going to the Fisher House Foundation, which helps out veterans by building homes to accommodate the families of injured military personnel.

As of this writing, the price was just over $12,000 - a hell of a deal, even if the car was lambasted for being a beater by the oh-so-delectable Megan Fox. And considering that the star spent some time in the passenger seat, we'd consider paying top dollar for the upholstery.

Top tip JW!

eBay find of the day: '77 Camaro from Transformers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2007 Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale: CNN Warrior One Hummer tops $1 MIL

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:27:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions, Hummer

Click image for high-res gallery

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, apparently each of the pictures in the custom mural paintjob on this Hummer were worth $1,000. More a thank-you gift for making a huge donation than anything, the Overhauled Hummer was perhaps the biggest star in the massive constellation of Saturday's Barrett-Jackson auction. After acknowledging all of the service people in the crowd, the bidding started and quickly went up in $50,000 increments. In the end, the Warrior One brought a high "bid" of $1,000,000 for the Fisher House. The second highest bidder even added another $250,000 to the pot, just for the heck of it. Probably the only Hummer to ever bring one-and-a-quarter mil. Only the excitement surrounding the sale of Shelby's personal Supersnake Cobra came close to matching this moment. Funniest part of the whole week, though, was when they had to roll the Hummer further down the stage to be able to see the bidders over its roof.

Gallery: 2007 Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale: CNN Warrior One Hummer

2007 Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale: CNN Warrior One Hummer tops $1 MIL originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auction: CNN Hummer goes from Fallujah to Foose

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 08:12:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions, Hummer

CNN's Baghdad battlecruiser, the Warrior One, will be going up for bid at January's Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale to raise money for the Fisher House Foundation. The well-known Hummer H1 was purchased at a Kuwaiti dealership and used during 2003 by CNN while they were embedded with the First Battalion, 7th Marines during the war. The crew came under heavy fire near Baghdad in April of that year while driving the vehicle.

After its tour of duty was over, the vehicle was turned over to TLC's Overhaulin' crew in the summer of 2006. Doing what they do best, the team overhauled the engine and body, and also added a network-worthy entertainment system. Airbrush artists were set loose on the exterior as well, adding images of photojournalists and military men and women to honor "those who have served during the war and those who have covered it."

All of the proceeds from the upcoming auction will go to aid the Fisher House Foundation, which supports the families of America's military members in their time of need. Fisher House provides "comfort homes" to family members of military personnel who require medical attention at major military and VA medical centers. These homes allow family members to be close to their loved ones during the hospital stays. The Fisher House Foundation serves more than 8,500 families every year.

The vehicle was on display near the media center at SEMA and every time we passed it we noticed another detail. Take a close look and you'll see that the "louvered" hood is actually punctuated with dozens of "CNN" logos. The beltline border depicts other military vehicles. The murals are phenomenal, especially with the sand-colored background adding a military feel. The stereo system is probably sufficient to act as a mobile broadcast vehicle. The roof even shows a CNN satellite floating high above the U.S. of A. The "Overhaulin'" transformation of this Hummer will air on November 21.

[Source: CNN]

Auction: CNN Hummer goes from Fallujah to Foose originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Nov 2006 08:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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