2013 SEMA Show: Kiss Bassist Gene Simmons Reveals Ford's Snakebit

As if having a gorgeously restored classic 1956 Ford F-100 pickup on the center stage of the Ford booth isn’t enough to get attention at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show, this truck is connected with world-famous rock icon and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons and his wife, actress Shannon Tweed. The press conference for the reveal was as packed as any rock concert.

The project truck is called "Snakebit" and it is the brainchild of Canadian Tom Foster of Industrial Machine & Manufacturing, a car builder based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. All proceeds from the sale of this pickup truck (it will be auctioned early next year at a Barrett-Jackson event) are part of a Wheels of Dreams fundraising effort aimed at building a children’s hospital in Tweed’s hometown of Saskatoon.

The truck chassis itself has been stretched 5 inches to give it a more proportional look, and it has 18-inch wheels and tires in front and 20-inch wheels and tires in back. The F-100 is lowered and basically has the powertrain from a Shelby Mustang Cobra, producing 550 horsepower through a Ford six-speed manual transmission.

The exterior color is Metallic Gray with two prominent racing stripes down the middle of the truck, again paying homage to the classic Shelby Mustangs. Inside, the interior boasts two-tone leather, with all the knobs and dash surfaces wrapped in leather as well.

Simmons said he hopes the truck will bring as much as $1,000,000 when sold, and he’s willing to do just about anything to make that happen. Snakebit is one of more than 50 vehicles Ford brought to the show this year.

To download the Ford press release, .