2021 Ford Bronco sells for $500K in windfall for Detroit's Pope Francis Center

The Rev. Tim McCabe found himself speechless.

"I’m still kind of in shock, just in awe," he told the Free Press minutes after a 2021 First Edition Ford Bronco sold for $500,000 Thursday night in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Every penny goes to the Pope Francis Center in Detroit, which Henry Ford III told the crowd at the Barrett-Jackson auction house, "is really just an extraordinary place downtown" doing great work. And, he noted, Ford CEO Jim Farley volunteers there.

All these dollars, Henry Ford said, would go to help fund the new Bridge Housing Campus, a one-of-a-kind facility to provide transitional housing and wraparound services to help break the cycle of homelessness.

The project, which is targeted to open in 2023 in Detroit's Core City neighborhood, will feature 40 studio apartments, a cafeteria, gymnasium, library, classrooms and a health clinic.

McCabe, executive director of the Pope Francis House, and Ford, great-great grandson of the founder of Ford Motor Co., stood on stage together as the bidding ran for five minutes before a winner from Georgia named Tony Townley brought the hammer down.

Afterward, Townley explained during a live interview webcast how he researched the Pope Francis Center prior to the auction. He turned to McCabe and said, "I think y’all are doing a great job. The car is beautiful and all. Dad worked for Ford for 30 years in Atlanta and retired. It means a lot to be here and be able to donate."

More: Millionaire with Michigan roots uses Twitter influence to boost Oxford donations

McCabe has vowed to end chronic homelessness in Detroit by 2030.

And Townley's bid of $500,000 allows the nonprofit organization to actually double the financial gift to $1 million because of a donor's matching-gift pledge from the Julia Burke Foundation, McCabe told the Free Press.

The northern California-based foundation, which has committed millions to the Detroit project, was created by the parents of a 16-year-old student who died in a car accident.

"Julia would be so proud to know part of her legacy will be this Bridge Housing Project," said Robbie Murphy, a foundation board member in December.

A month ago, officials led a groundbreaking for the Bridge Housing Campus that will temporarily shelter people for 90 to 120 days and include job preparation services.

The Pope Francis Center provides laundry services, showers, food, medical and dental care for unhoused people who need help now, McCabe told the auction attendees. This Bronco sale, he said, is "literally helping save lives."

More: When priest needed a miracle, GM came to the rescue with COVID-19 screeners

More: Jim Farley on new apartments for Detroit homeless: 'Band-Aids aren't enough'

Year after year, Detroit officials see an estimated 2,000 people looking for a warm safe place to sleep on any given night, Mayor Mike Duggan said recently.

Behind the scenes

This whole auction idea started about three years ago in a brainstorming session involving McCabe, now-Ford CEO Jim Farley and the father-son team of David Fischer and David Fischer Jr. who own The Suburban Collection in Troy.

"We had a meeting in Jim Farley’s office," McCabe recalled, and the Fischer family wanted to write a check to support the charity but thought it might be smarter to think creatively. That's when they realized they could donate a vehicle, make it unique with the help of Ford designers and raise a lot more money.

What made it one of a kind?

So this Bronco started at $63,275 and had thousands of dollars in custom features.

The $500,000 Bronco is painted Wimbledon White, a color featured on the 1966 Bronco but not available on the current version. Special features also included custom wheels with a Wimbledon White finish, a Rapid Red stripe at the center to match striping on the body and hood. Accessories include a rooftop lightbar, side pod lights, an in-vehicle safe, MOLLE strap system mounted to the inner swing-gate, full vehicle cover and garage storage bags for the tube doors.

"A lot of obstacles happened along the way, COVID being one of them," McCabe said. "We got here three years later. The Ford team, its design team, they were so excited. Some of the Ford employees were almost in tears. They invested their heart and soul into this charity auction and it paid off."

David Fischer Jr., CEO at The Suburban Collection, said his family donated the vehicle but the Ford team, led by Farley, deserve the credit for a successful gift that benefits downtown Detroit.

"We're honored to help make a difference," Fischer told the Free Press. "My dad met with Jim Farley and Tim McCabe. It was pre-COVID. My dad and I spent a little bit of time with Jim and Tim. After that, we went down and spent a little time checking out the operation."

David Fischer Sr., played a key role in raising $55 million toward the historic $145 million renovation of the Argonaut Building located in Detroit's Midtown for the College for Creative Studies.

The Fischer family, as part of a group strategy with Ford, switched up which vehicle they'd auction about eight months ago, and went with the Bronco, David Fischer Jr. said.

He and his father focus their philanthropy on education, cancer, basic needs and children. Pope Francis Center falls under basic needs.

"We both were born and raised in metro Detroit. We've been in the car business our whole life," Fischer said. "Southeastern Michigan is our home. We’ve always been very active trying to work to improve the community we live and work in."

He represents the spirit of the city, McCabe said Friday.

"When we all do what we can to take care of those who are in need, these types of miracles happen," McCabe said. "These family businesses really see themselves as a community partner. They take care of the community. It doesn't matter whether a gift is $25 or $500,000 — it all works together. Every dollar is a blessing to us, and we use that money to make sure the least among us are taken care of."

More: Ford CEO Jim Farley is doing important work at TCF Center — and few know it

More: Mom of Oxford shooting survivor shares details of daughter's recovery

More: Francis Ford Coppola emails Alexandra Ford English after F-150 Lightning debut: What he said

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: phoward@freepress.com or 313-618-1034. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: $500K sale of 2021 Ford Bronco benefits Detroit's Pope Francis Center