Actor Patrick Dempsey is famous for his work in front of the camera, for his many charitable efforts and, to fellow gearheads, for his passion for racing. So, whenever one of his vehicles comes up for auction, the world tends to pay attention.
And this Panoz-built 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback that he owned for several years is worthy of your attention. It’s now listed for sale on Bring A Trailer, with the current bid sitting at $75,000 and five more days to go into the action.
Dempsey himself commissioned the vehicle and spent a reported $300,000 on it. It was completed in 2008 after 2.5 years / 3,900 hours of work and, since then, was driven for some 8,500 miles (13,679 km), of which only 500 (804 km) were with the current owner.
Knowing Dempsey’s involvement in racing (he’s done anything from the Rolex 24 Daytona, to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, so he’s not your regular celebrity who merely likes to pose as a fan of the sports), it’s no wonder he would get involved in such an extensive and impressive project.
Panoz Auto Development and JRD developed the car to his specifications, sourcing components from the S197 and SN95 Mustang. This included the supercharged 4.6-liter “Terminator” V8 from the 2004 SVT Cobra that delivered 390 HP when new, Tremec T-56 six-speed manual transmission, portions of the suspension and brakes, and some interior items, according to BaT. Custom molds were used for front and rear crumple zones and integrated side-impact protection.
Equus Automotive Inc. bought the car from Dempsey and did further work on it, modifying the front and rear lower valances, replacing the hood and rear side window glass, and adding their logo to the wheel and the front headrests. They also redid the cabin in black leather, so that now the car comes in black over black, and added a retro radio with Bluetooth connectivity. Safety has also been a priority, so there are three-point seatbelts in the front and rear, and a child-seat restraint system in the back.
If the Dempsey association is not enough celebrity pedigree, this beauty was also featured in the May 2008 issue of Mustang Monthly.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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