What Is the Old Crow Mustang?

2019's Ford Aviation Mustang is designed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and is themed after Bud Anderson’s P-51 Mustang fighter plane, which he had nicknamed Old Crow.

If you want to see the Old Crow Mustang in action, here’s Roush’s reveal video.

Ford’s Aviation Series

Each year, Ford works with designers, tuners, and other Mustang enthusiasts to create a one-of-a-kind Mustang that is aviation themed. That Mustang is then auctioned off and the money is given to EAA’s Young Eagle’s Program.

Ford has been participating in this event since 2008, and during this time we’ve seen vehicles designed to commemorate the Eagle Squadron, the F-35 aircraft, the Lockheed Blackbird aircraft, and the Apollo spacecraft.

Each vehicle has been special, including both aesthetic components as well as performance ones.

Last year’s Eagle Squadron Mustang is a hard act to follow. The trick with any special edition or commemorative Mustang is finding a subject that deserves commemoration, and to find people who will pour passion and innovation into that commemoration.

So, who was Bud Anderson? And why was Roush the right choice for this project?

Hood Detail

Bud Anderson

In 1944, when he flew in D-Day, Bud Anderson was a twenty-two-year-old pilot, only two years out of aviation cadet training. Despite his young age, by the time he shipped home in 1945, Anderson had been promoted to the rank of Major.

Anderson flew two combat tours in World War II, flying 116 missions in his P-51, “Old Crow.” During this time, he amassed over 16 aerial victories, became a triple ace pilot, and the highest scored ace in his squadron.

Bud Anderson and Old Crow

Upon returning to the United States, Anderson served as the Chief of Fighter Operations, and later Deputy Director of Flight Test. He went on to serve two tours at the Pentagon. During the Vietnam War, Anderson returned to duty to command the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. Two of the twelve airmen who were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War flew for this unit.

During his many years in the service, Anderson amassed a bevy of awards, including:

• Command Pilot
• Legion of Merit
• Distinguished Flying Cross
• Bronze Star Medal
• Air Medal
• Air Force Commendation Medal
• Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
• American Campaign Medal
• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• National Defense Service Medal
• Vietnamese Service Medal
• Korea Defense Service Medal
• Air Force Longevity Service Award
• Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
• Legion of Honour
• Croix de Guerre
• Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
• Vietnam Campaign Medal
• American Fighter Aces Association
• Society of Experimental Test Pilots
• Aerospace Walk of Honor
• Crystal Eagle Award
• Congressional Gold Medal

Bud Anderson is also a personal friend of Jack Roush, founder of Roush Performance, a company primarily focused on modifying Ford vehicles to make them cooler and faster than when they came off the line at the factory.

Bud Anderson and Jack Roush

The Finished Product

In what is certainly no surprise to long time fans of Ford’s Aviation series or Roush Performance, the finished project is every bit as incredible as we imagined it could be.

Old Crow Mustang Exterior

The paint scheme is very true to the P-51 Mustang that was the Ford Mustang’s namesake. The dark military green of the hood is set off by the silver of the car’s body. The black and white details under the door echo the wing details of the Mustang plane, which you can just see in the background.

The bright red side mirror complements the bright red details on the front of the car. Also on the front of the car are bold yellow details, which match the yellow on the propeller of the plane, pictured behind.

Front and Driver’s Side

The front of the Old Crow Mustang features the yellow much more prominently, and right behind the Mustang you can see the nose of the Old Crow, which also featured yellow and red quite prominently.

Old Crow Interior

The interior features military green leather on the doors and dash, and brown leather seats which gives the Old Crow Mustang the feel of a military plane’s cockpit. The Sparco four-point harness is probably necessary given the very Roush performance upgrades.

Little bits of red on the interior echo the red on the exterior. The Mustang has a red shift knob, red door handles, and sharp gray accents to help create a sharpness and prevent the greens and browns from becoming too muddied.

Autographed Supercharger

Of course, this is a Roush and Ford Performance team up project, so they weren’t going to let the improvements be purely aesthetic. Under the hood is the Roush and Ford Performance Supercharger, which brings the GT up to 710 horsepower. It also gained an active exhaust, MagneRide suspension system, X-pipe and 20” wheels.

Sold!

The Old Crow Mustang was auctioned off at the July 25, 2019 AirVenture show. This Mustang was sold for $400,000 the proceeds of the auction will go to EAA.

If you love the Old Crow Mustang, but aren’t planning to participate in the auction, you can always upgrade your current Mustang GT by installing a Roush/Ford Performance Supercharger. It may not have all the same details, but it’ll fly just as well with a rumbling 710 horsepower.

Image and Source Credit: "Old Crow" Mustang GT Reveal, Roush Performance | Ford, Roush Unveil One-of-a-Kind "Old Crow" Mustang GT to be Auctioned for EAA Aviation Programs at AirVenture 2019, Ford | Seeing Double: P-51 Old Crow