KISS frontman Gene Simmons, Ford unveil custom 1956 F-100 pickup

Michael Wayland | M Live

DETROIT, MI- Ford Motor Co. unveiled a custom 1956 Ford F-100 Tuesday at the 2013 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show with help from KISS frontman Gene Simmons and his wife, actress Shannon Tweed.

The Shelby Mustang-inspired pickup truck — named “Snakebit” – features 20-inch rear wheels, a Ford Racing supercharged 5.4-liter V8 estimated at 550 horsepower and custom wheelbase, headlights and sequential taillights.

“That’s what I call hot,” Simmons said as the vehicle was unveiled to KISS’ “Rock And Roll All Nite.”

Ford-Gene-Simmons-Snakebit.jpgThe interior of the metallic gray pickup features handmade panels and two-tone leather. The knobs on the leather-wrapped dash are custom, as are the armrests. The leather bench seat is contoured to match the look of a Shelby Mustang interior.

Snakebite will be auctioned next year by Barrett-Jackson, with proceeds going to help fund a children’s hospital in Tweed’s hometown in Canada.

Custom 1956 Ford F-100, aptly named Snakebit, features styling cues that pay homage to classic Shelby Mustangs; power is supplied by Ford’s supercharged 5.4-liter V8 engine.Ford

Simmons said he wants the vehicle to auction for at least $1 million. The legendary bassist even joked that he’d do everything for the winning bidder –from cooking dinner to signing the vehicle and spitting blood in the backseat.

“I’ll do anything you want,” Simmons said. “I want a million bucks for that.”

The project, according to Ford, was originally conceived by Tom Foster, president of Saskatoon-based customizer Industrial Machine & Manufacturing, as a team-building exercise that could help raise funds for a new children’s hospital. Called Wheels of Dreams, the project to design and build the custom truck was funded by the Ford dealer association in Saskatchewan.

The pickup is one of 57 custom vehicles Ford has on display at its 27,000 square-foot exhibit at the 2013 SEMA Show, which continues through Friday in Las Vegas. Last year, more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers attended the show.

Click through the embedded slideshow for photos and details on the Ford vehicles at the 2013 SEMA Show.

 

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