--- title: "Vaughn Gittin Jr. to Pilot a Ford Eagle Squadron Mustang GT at Goodwood Festival of Speed" description: "The one-off Ford Performance creation will also visit August's Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit." date: "2018-07-12" modified: "2018-07-12" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/22118/vaughn-gittin-jr-to-pilot-a-ford-eagle-squadron-mustang-gt-at-goodwood-festival-of-speed" categories: - "News" tags: - "Coupe" - "Ford" - "Goodwood Festial of Speed" - "Hill Climb" - "Mustang" - "sports car" - "vaughn gittin jr" --- # Vaughn Gittin Jr. to Pilot a Ford Eagle Squadron Mustang GT at Goodwood Festival of Speed ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* Professional drifter and Formula D superstar Vaughn Gittin Jr. will manhandle a mean-looking [Ford Mustang GT]() up the famous hill at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The one-off pony car is dubbed the Eagle Squadron Mustang GT, and it was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Britain's Royal Air Force. The [current-generation]() Mustang was modified with a wide body kit, custom Royal Air Force graphics, and then camouflaged to resemble an original Eagle Squadron Spitfire aircraft, which is known around the world for its agility and combat prowess. Despite flying under the British flag, the original Eagle Squadron was made up of American Air Force pilots who were stationed in England during WWII. The Mustang pays homage not only to the Royal Air Force, but also the brave Americans that fought within it. In fact, Gittin will be accompanied by Royal Air Force veteran Paul Miller, whose father “Dusty” served in Eagle Squadron in 1941 and 1942. https://youtube.com/embed/aQRBbSh2Ums Besides the obvious visual enhancements, there's also plenty of add-on oomph under the matte hood of the Mustang. For starters, a Ford Performance supercharger kit has been bolted onto the 5.0-liter V8, helping it make [a whopping 700 horsepower](), that's 240 more horsepower than stock. In addition, an RTR Tactical Performance Suspension Package with in-car adjustable MagneRide dampers and sway bars has been installed, and so have two-piece 20-inch wheels with 285/30-ZR20 front and 305/30-ZR20 rear Nitto NT555 high-performance tires. Gittin Jr. will go down in history as one of the lucky few who have had the chance to pilot a machine at the world-famous festival, and although most racers carefully nail every apex on their way to the top, we can assume that he'll smash the throttle and burn rubber the entire way through. After all, that's what his legions of fans would expect. And speaking of fans, Ford will also tackle "the hill" with both the new and old [Mustang Bullitt](). Ford plans on auctioning the Eagle Squadron Mustang GT July 26 to benefit the Experimental Aircraft Association’s youth aviation education programs. ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()