 The SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women, featuring a ’13 Ford Mustang GT donated by Ford Motor Co., will be unveiled at this year’s SEMA Show. Pictured here are two Magnaflow employees installing a Magnaflow exhaust. |
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The all-female vehicle customization project known as the SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women, featuring a ’13 Ford Mustang GT donated by Ford Motor Co., is on target for the unveiling of winning design “High Gear” at this year’s SEMA Show, Tuesday, October 30, 2012. The vehicle, which was painted at L&G Enterprises and customized at Source Interlink Media’s headquarters in El Segundo, California, will be auctioned on eBay immediately following the reveal with proceeds slated for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Foundation—an organization dedicated to fostering the next generation of automotive aftermarket leaders and innovators.
Thirty aftermarket manufacturers, retailers and suppliers provided more than 50 high-performance components for this historic all-female SEMA Mustang Build. Custom installations and vehicle modifications include an E-Force Supercharger System from Edelbrock; front and rear brakes from Wilwood; a complete coilover suspension from H&R; sway bars from Whiteline USA; an exhaust system from MagnaFlow; a stereo system from Kicker; P Zero tires from Pirelli and Forgeline GA1R wheels with a custom finish. In addition to the customization of a Ford Mustang GT by an all-female build team, many of the products donated to the build came from women-owned companies.
“It was amazing to experience the huge amount of support offered by the SEMA-member companies,” stated Susan Carpenter, SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) product coordinator. “The response was overwhelmingly positive in support of the scholarship fund and to raise awareness of women in the automotive aftermarket. Many of the companies not only provided product at no charge, but also sent female representatives to install their product onsite.”
“From the beginning, we felt that the build would have a lot of great energy,” commented Lindy Jewell of H&R Special Springs. “I knew our suspension would be a perfect addition to this amazing project. We encourage and support these unique ideas to broaden aftermarket awareness.”
The SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women, scheduled for completion in late August, involves five primary teams and team leaders, including the Powertrain Team (JoAnn Bortles), Paint and Body Team (Theresa Contreras), Undercarriage Team (Mollie Lewis), Interior and Stereo System Team (Kristin Cline), and the Quality Assurance Team (Jennifer LaFever).
“Being a part of this project has been thrilling,” stated Coelette Chenier, marketing coordinator, MagnaFlow. “With the help of my team member, Laurie Paolone, I learned how to successfully install an exhaust system as well as several other products. Now, I feel like I can do anything, and someday I’m going to customize a vehicle of my own.”
For a complete list of the supporting SEMA-member companies as well as a list of SBN team members and their bios, visit www.sema.org/SEMAMustangBuild. Follow the build progress online at www.youtube.com/MotorTrend and www.HOTROD.com.
To learn more about the SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women, contact Bryan Harrison, SEMA's senior manager of councils and the build's project manager, at bryanh@sema.org.