Scottsdale, Arizona – Steven Tyler is putting his car up for auction for charity.
The 68-year-old rocker has joined forces with a team of celebrities to donate one of his cars - a Hennessey Venom GT Spyder - to the annual Barrett-Jackson classic car auction, which takes place in Scottsdale next month.
All proceeds made from the sale of the Aerosmith frontman's car, the first Venom GT Spyder ever made, and which cost $1.1 million (R15.4 million) new in 2012, will be donated to Janie's Fund, the charity Tyler set up in partnership with non-profit organisation Youth Villages.
The mission statement on the website for Janie's Fund reads: "Janie's Fund is dedicated to providing resources to help put the pieces back together again for abused girls. Each year in our country, more than 68 000 children are raped or sexually abused. The number of girls experiencing this devastating trauma before the age of 18 is a staggering 1 in 5. This MUST change."
'Bada Bing'
And Tyler isn't the only one sending his wheels to the auction, as Kurt Russell is handing over his 1986 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 pick-up truck. Also available at the auction will be a 1956 Austin Princess once owned by Beatles legend John Lennon, as well as a 1934 Ford Custom Sedan, which was driven by Eddie Van Halen.
A 1972 Oldsmobile owned by the late James Gandolfini – which he called his "Bada Bing" – and Sammy Hagar's 1967 Shelby GT500 will also be up for grabs.
Also donating cars with the purpose of giving the proceeds to charity is Nascar racer Dale Earnhardt Junior, who will sell two of his Chevys in order to pass the money on to an as-yet-unnamed charity.
In 2015 the auction sold a whopping $33 million (R460 million) worth of cars.