It was a charity car sale so the price is meaningless. It's a tax writeoff and bragging rights I guess.
That's why it's tough to look at the sale prices afterwards if you don't know the story behind the car on the auction block. Supposedly the first 55 T-Bird was auctioned off for $600K again in some form of charity or donation, but it was serial # 005 and apparently # 004 is out there.