A Ford pickup autographed twice by former President George W. Bush will be up for auction next Saturday ... with some of the sale proceeds designated to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Iowa, Newswire.com reported Friday.
George Bush signs dashboard of truckAccording to the auction house, this is the only known vehicle to have been signed twice by a U.S. president, and therefore will be very last auction item in the three-day event featuring hundreds of rare, collectible cars and trucks, including classic 1960s and 70s muscle cars, as well as sports cars.
So how did this Ford F-150 pick-up come to be signed twice by George W. Bush, U.S. president from 2001-2009?
The truck, which had been used by Bush at his Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas after leaving the White House, was purchased by Allan Jones, the founder and CEO of Check Into Cash at the 2013 Palm Beach Barrett-Jackson auction with proceeds from that sale to benefit the National Guard Youth Foundation.
Jones explained that after he purchased the truck in 2013, the Bush signature on the passenger side of the instrument panel was accidentally washed off during routine maintenance. When Jones realized what had happened, he asked the President if he would sign it again so that truck could be resold for charity.
"President Bush graciously agreed to help us and the rest is history," Jones said. "He autographed the F-150 in the exact same location on the right airbag panel. Once word got out, everyone wanted to know when the auction was taking place."
Jones, a long-time supporter of amateur wrestling, has designated that all the proceeds from the April 8 sale of the truck will go to two organizations that serve to grow youth wrestling: the Higher Calling Wrestling Club in Tennessee ... and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.
"Dan Gable is a wrestling legend whose name is famous all over the world," said Jones. "He had a high school and college record of 181-1 and as an Olympic competitor in the Munich Games of 1972, he brought home the Gold Medal and was undefeated and unscored upon. As a college wrestler at Iowa State University, he was a two-time NCAA champion/three-time finalist and as a coach brought Iowa 15 NCAA titles -- nine in a row from 1978 to 1986 -- and 21 straight Big Ten team titles, not to mention Coach of the Year three times. It is our pleasure to honor this legend and help continue the fine work that he does."
Dan Gable weighed in on the significance of some of the auction proceeds would go to the museum in his hometown that bears his name.
"Now, thanks to Janie and Allan Jones and the new purchaser, this special truck will help countless young boys and girls participating in many wrestling programs," said Gable. "It will also benefit the Dan Gable Museum's expansion of its Teaching Center, Wrestling Room, Theater and Museum."
"The monies from this auction will benefit thousands of youth wrestlers in the next few years as well as the museum," Gable added. "This is history."
In addition to knowing that the winning bidder will be supporting wrestling, he or she will be getting an impressively-equipped truck with an impressive pedigree. This F-150 Super Crew 4x4 features a 5.4-liter, 310-horsepower V8 engine and four-speed automatic transmission, and a luxurious adobe-color King Ranch premium leather interior, according to the description at its listing on the Barrett-Jackson auction website. The truck was used by George W. and Laura Bush at the Crawford ranch for everything from basic chores to transporting visiting dignitaries. There is no reserve on this auction item.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now