FISHER HOUSE - HELPING MILITARY FAMILIES

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JAY LENO’S 2012 FIAT 500 PRIMA EDIZIONE RAISES $600,000 AT GOODING & COMPANY’S PEBBLE BEACH AUCTIONS IN SUPPORT OF FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION

MONTEREY/PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (August 22, 2012) – The Tonight Show host Jay Leno’s 2012 Fiat 500 Prima Edizione sold for $350,000 at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auctions held on Saturday, August 18 to benefit Fisher House Foundation, which builds comfort homes for the families of military members receiving medical treatment at military hospitals and VA Medical Centers around the country. Leno was joined by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Army General Ray Odierno in congratulating Bill Munday, an auto dealer from Austin, Texas who bought the Fiat. An enthusiastic crowd added another $250,000, bringing the total raised to $600,000 for Fisher House Foundation.

In an effort to raise money for and awareness of an important cause close to his heart, Mr. Leno selected Fisher House Foundation as the beneficiary of his sale proceeds. “I was thrilled to present Jay Leno’s first edition Fiat 500, one of the most talked about modern cars in our automotive industry today,” says President and Founder David Gooding. “We have great respect for Jay as well as Fisher House and hope that the sale of the 500 attracts a great deal of attention to and support for this extraordinary humanitarian organization that generously champions our soldiers and their families.”

"We're grateful to Jay Leno for his exemplary and unwavering support of our military families, to help them when they need it the most," said Ken Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. "Knowing Jay's passion for cars, and what this one represents to him, we recognize that he is sacrificing something special for what he believes is a greater good. All of Fisher House and the families we serve thank him deeply."

Jay Leno and his 2012 Fiat 500 Prima Edizione
To celebrate Fiat’s return to the American market in 2011, 500 Prima Ediziones were built to honor Fiat’s most devoted enthusiasts in the American automotive community. Delivered to Mr. Leno earlier this year, this particular example, car number 00002, is the second new 500 produced for American consumers and the first example ever delivered to a customer. As a Prima Edizione, this Bianco (white) car is distinguished by a black side stripe with “500” detail and a badge on the dash. During a feature segment on his Emmy Award-winning web series, “Jay Leno’s Garage,” Mr. Leno describes this car as “incredibly fun to drive.” As a special offer to the winning bidder in Pebble Beach, Mr. Leno extended an invitation for the new owner to visit his garage and car collection near Los Angeles, California. The Fiat’s estimate is $25,000–$35,000 and was offered without reserve.

Gooding & Company’s 2012 Pebble Beach Auctions took place on Saturday and Sunday, August 18 & 19 at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center.

About Gooding & Company
Gooding & Company, internationally celebrated for its world-class automotive auctions, provides unparalleled service in the collector car market, offering a wide range of services including private and estate sales, appraisals and collection management. In the past two years, Gooding & Company has realized the most prestigious automotive records in the world for a Car Sold at Auction with the iconic 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype at $16.39 million and for an American Car at Auction with the 1931 Whittell Coupe Duesenberg Model J at $10.34 million. The auction house has realized extraordinary results thus far in 2012 at its annual Scottsdale Auctions in January with more than $39.8 million in sales and 98% sold, and its annual Amelia Island Auction in March with more than $36 million in sales and 91% sold. Renowned for its annual standing as the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Gooding & Company will return to Pebble Beach, California on August 18 & 19, 2012.

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