Shelby
February 3rd, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Four decades after Shelby and Ford collaborated on a race version of the legendary Mustang, the companies are building a limited edition track day version of the Ford Shelby GT. Ford Racing and Shelby Automobiles, will commemorate the 1965 SCCA championship of Jerry Titus and final production of the current generation Mustang by offering up to 37 total 550 horsepower Shelby GT “R Model”.
“In 1965, my team built 37 small block ‘R Model’ race-only versions of the Shelby GT350 Mustang that kicked tails on circuits worldwide,” said Carroll Shelby, founder of Shelby Automobiles. “Working with Ford Racing, we’re going to build a new track day ‘R Model’ version of the Ford Shelby GT. It’ll be lots of fun to drive and ready to rip up the pavement right out of the box.”
The track day car will be featured as a “Jerry Titus Drivers Edition” to honor his 1965 “B Production” championship, which as the first national road racing for a Shelby Mustang, in a GT350R. Jerry was one of the special drivers who piloted Shelby Mustangs to total domination on the track. Not only did he win the first championship, he broke the story of the “R Model” to the world in Sports Car Graphic and was instrumental in its development. The 2009 Jerry Titus Edition “R Model” lives up to his performance legacy.
The “R Model” version of the Mustang will be a purpose-built track car based on the same 4.6-litre V8 that powers every Ford Shelby GT; the vehicles cannot be registered for the street. Additional power will come from the Ford Racing/Whipple Twin Screw intercooled supercharger installed by Shelby and mated to a T6060 GT500-based six speed transmission before the Shelby team inserts them into the race-ready chassis. Each will be painted white with silver stripes and documented in the Shelby Registry. The racer qualifies for the NASA “American Iron Extreme” class and an excellent all-around track car that is uniquely Shelby.
The “R Model” is based on the 2007-08 model Ford Shelby GT. The streetcar is a well-balanced, fun to drive machine that leveraged Shelby’s experience making Mustangs go faster.
“The Shelby name has stood for performance since Carroll began building cars for the track in 1962,” added Brian Wolfe, director. Ford North America Motorsports. ”Track Day enthusiasts have been asking for a contemporary Shelby and Ford Track Car for some time, so we at Ford Racing are pleased to team up with Shelby Automobiles to build a handful of very special cars. We look forward to watching them roar past Camaros and Challengers when they show up at the track.”
January 20th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
For almost as long as there has been movies there has been movie cars, but few movie cars have proved more memorable in recent years than ‘Eleanor’ from 2000 car-heist flick Gone in 60 Seconds. Elanor in the film is a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500, but this role is played by a 1967 Ford Mustang fastback. According to the studio, a total of eleven Eleanors were created for the movie, and only three of those machines made it through filming undamaged. One of these Mustangs was sold recently at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona, USA. It was a completely undamaged machine used only for close-ups with Nicholas Cage. Under the bonnet is a 351 cubic-inch Ford V8, mated to an automatic transmission. The new owner bought himself a unique car and some serious bragging rights, the cost? Just a measly $216,700 ($315,000 NZ).
January 16th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Shelby Automobiles, based in Las Vegas, USA has recently completed a new Advanced Engineering Centre and a full renovation of its museum. This expansion enhances the company’s capabilities while also paying homage to the rich heritage of Carroll Shelby and his companies over the past 85 years.
“The recent opening of the Shelby Cafe was the first step in making the Shelby facility a major attraction,” noted Amy Boylan, president of Shelby Automobiles. “Now we’ve finished the second phase of our expansion. From historical vehicles to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway road course, our campus represents all aspects of the Shelby lifestyle.
“The redesigned museum was expanded to include interactive displays, as well as exhibits of historic and current Shelby cars,” explained Boylan. “From the first Cobra to the latest Ford Shelby GT500 ‘Super Snake’ and the Ford GT prototype, the museum celebrates the life and cars of Carroll Shelby. We’re planning revolving exhibits to keep the experience fresh so a trip to the museum will continue to top the list for anyone visiting Las Vegas.”
A Shelby Heritage Centre is under development as part of the new museum. There, the public will have access to records, data and memorabilia from Mr. Carroll Shelby’s racing career and vehicles built by his companies. Records, including a registry, will be available for review on-site.
The Advanced Engineering Centre is another key part of a major expansion at Shelby Automobiles. “Our success building Cobras, the Series 1 and Ford Mustang based supercars led to the need for an Advanced Engineering Centre,” stated Gary Davis, vice president of production for Shelby Automobiles. “This facility combines the most sophisticated engineering with the common sense approach of the American hot rodder.”
The Advanced Engineering Centre will eventually become the heart of the world famous Shelby Automobiles factory and mod shop. There, the company turns out a limited number of genuine Shelby Cobras, GT500KRs, Terlingua Racing Team Shelbys and Shelby Super Snakes.
November 28th, 2008 by NZ Classic Car
Recently advertised for sale in the States is every Mustang enthusiast’s dream a 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500KR. Some say it is the most menacing Mustang ever released and this vehicle is a true black on black, four-speed example with full documentation. Purchased new in 1968 the Shelby has the full GT500KR package (which includes power steering and power disc brakes, shoulder harnesses, a fold down rear seat and an AM radio,) tilt-away steering column, interior decor group, visibility group and GT equipment group. While the car originally came with the cast 5 spoke mag wheel covers, they were replaced by Shelby aluminum wheels in 1971. Listed at $179,900 ($324,000 NZ) this is one pricey Mustang, but it would be tough to find a straighter example of this highly sought after model.
To find out more on this Shelby Mustang click here
November 7th, 2008 by NZ Classic Car
Big motor, small car. This basic idea was such a winning formula for Shelby Carroll’s Cobras in the 1960′s that it still lives on today. In addition to numerous kit cars available, Shelby offers his own version that comes with a CSX4000 chassis number. It’s always up to the owner to decide what engine to put in the car, leading to some interesting variations.
The example seen at this weeks SEMA show in Las Vegas, might be the most extreme, with a supercharged V8 pushing out an awesome 1,000 horsepower. Built by Nevada Classics, Inc. and Sean Hyland Motorsport in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, the King Cobra utilizes the all-aluminum 5.4L V8 from the Ford GT500 fitted with a 2.8L Kenne Bell supercharger and runs on E85 ethanol.
Further upgrades had to be made to accommodate the engine and the suspension and brakes were beefed up to account for the extra horsepower.
With that kind of power on tap, rear tyres everywhere should be running scared.
October 24th, 2008 by NZ Classic Car
Hard man actor Bruce Willis is auctioning off some of his classic cars at a Bonhams auction being held at the The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, USA this weekend.
The sale, which also includes Steve McQueen memorabilia and a diamond-covered matchbox car, will auction off five cars from Bruce’s personal collection. Bruce will be offloading a prized collection of American steel, including a pair of Corvette roadsters (an original ’57 and a ’67 Stingray), a 1955 Chevy Nomad, and a ’69 Dodge Charger. But the gem in the crown is a 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 convertible which has been carefully restored and is estimated to sell for $150,000 – 175,000 ($254,200 – $296,500). The star factor is sure to push prices up.
April 18th, 2008 by NZ Classic Car
With their point well and truly proven in road racing, utilising the Shelby Mustangs, the Ford Motor Company changed tack a little for 1968. Its focus went, with all eight ‘guns’ blazing, to the drag racers and the street racers whose requirements varied somewhat, but whose bottom line shared a desire for power. That power could be had in air conditioned comfort in the Shelby GT500KR. It was a fairytale come true
Shelby the name, Shelby the car; what was the formula that created such a legend? Was it all hype, or was it all fact? Was it a man riding on corporate funds to build his own motoring reputation? Or was it perhaps a corporation riding on one man’s ability to deliver what its own engineers could not? Whatever the situation, Carroll Shelby wasn’t the type to toe the party line, he was an individualist, one who was determined to finish a job properly, to complete any task assigned to him and not be afraid to soil his hands along the way. Corporate funds merely fed the man’s necessities.
This lanky Texan, the son of a US postal worker, had proven fairly early on in his racing career that you could take it to the big guns and win.
His road racing career began in an MG, of all things, but as his talent began to attract the attention of race car owners much faster rides came his way, among them a Cad-Allard in 1953. The name came from the Cadillac engine in a Sidney Allard car, a machine capable of around 241kph (150mph) on the straight.
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