By SEMA Editors
 The ’72 Ford Maverick built at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, under the tutelage of actor Sung Kang sold for $95,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction, October 21, in Las Vegas. SEMA Cares Chairman Tim Martin (second from right) holds the check with the student builders (L-R) Tony Chen, Christian Quiroz and Alexis Hernandez. |
The ’72 Ford Maverick built at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, under the tutelage of actor Sung Kang sold for $95,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction, October 21, in Las Vegas. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which provides financial support to young people pursuing automotive careers.
Dubbed “Project Underdog,” the build was officially unveiled at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and was sponsored by Shell featuring Pennzoil and supported by Ford Motor Co., Samsung, NITTO, GReddy and Rocket Bunny.
Kang created Project Underdog as an exercise in youth engagement, putting together a unique team consisting of three aspiring California car enthusiasts from Alhambra High School, award-winning vehicle designer Steve Strope, members of the SEMA Garage and other industry professionals to successfully transform the unassuming “underdog” Maverick into a showcase performer and winner of a Ford Corporate Design Award for its significant contribution to vehicle design. Along the way, student builders Tony Chen, Alexis Hernandez and Christian Quiroz acquired valuable technical and life skills from Kang and his company of adult mentors.
The Maverick’s new bodywork boasts flared wheel arches, a custom front bumper and forward-mounted black wing mirrors, all riding on a set of deep-dish gold wheels. Amid these and other extensive chassis and body modifications, the project replaced the outdated ’72 inline six-cylinder engine with a new Ford EcoBoost 2.3L from a ’15 Mustang. Originally rated at 305hp, the EcoBoost was reworked to churn out an excess of 400hp while delivering modern levels of efficiency, fuel economy and lowered emissions. The high-achieving engine was mated to a six-speed Tremec T56 transmission.
The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Foundation delivers dozens of annual awards ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 to deserving student recipients, with a $5,000 award going to a top achiever. The program also includes a loan-forgiveness fund for employees of SEMA-member companies who are paying off loans from study at an accredited university, college or vocational/technical program. Since its inception in 1984, the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund has granted $2.1 million to more than 1,200 students.
For more information about the SEMA Garage—Industry Innovations Center, visit www.semagarage.org, email garage@sema.org, or call 909-978-6728. To learn more about the SEMA Memorial Scholarship program, contact Juliet Marshall, SEMA manager of education projects, at 901-978-6655 or julietm@sema.org. To view Project Underdog's promotional video and episodes, visit Garage Monkey's YouTube channel at YouTube.com/user/GarageMonkeyTV.