For 45 years, Barrett-Jackson has started the new year off by gathering valuable cars from across the world for its annual auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. More than just a collection of high-dollar classics, Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event has become a place where major automakers auction off unique and early VIN vehicles, often to benefit charitable organizations.
The upcoming 2016 Ford Focus RS, which takes the stage this weekend at the Barrett-Jackson auction, will be sold to benefit Ford’s favored charity, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF.
“Ford has been a longtime supporter of JDRF,” said Henry Ford III, global marketing manager, Ford Performance. “We are honored to continue that support with the auction of this custom Focus RS. Ford fans have anticipated the arrival of the Focus RS to the United States for years. This is the opportunity for one lucky person to get a very special RS while supporting a great cause.”
Ford began its support of the JDRF back in 1983, and has since auctioned dozens of high-value one-off and early VIN vehicles. This includes the first Shelby GT350 that sold last year for a cool million bucks. While the press release doesn’t specify what custom bits this Focus RS will come with, the buyer will end up with an all-wheel drive, 350 horsepower hot hatch that has lit up the Internet for the past six months. Included in the equation is a unique six-speed manual transmission and a special “Drift Mode” button that helps would-be Ken Blocks get sideways like the pros.
The Focus RS has a MSRP of $35,740, but we expect it to bring a lot more than that when the gavel falls this weekend.