The Mustang Shelby GT 500 was born in 1967 during the restyling of the Ford Mustang from the same year. Carroll Shelby Mustang produced its own under its brand followed this trend and took the opportunity to give his mustang a more personalized style and is clearly now detaching the Mustang produced by Ford.
Shelby took the decision to develop its range of "high performance" model powered by the most powerful Mustang ever had that under the hood, a Ford Police Interceptor V8 428 above (7 L) displacement. Shelby GT 500 Thus was born.
The GT 500 Mustang stands out by a redesigned front giving it a more aggressive and sporty front air. Air scoops are places on the hood, in front of the rear fenders, and instead of air custos taken. The back suffers as much or more, changes the bow. The legendary lights three sticks are abandoned in favor of slender fires Mercury Cougar 1967. The boot lid now incorporates a spoiler statement. The interior is that of the Ford Mustang series. The galloping pony logo is replaced by the Cobra clean Carroll Shelby.
The performance of the Shelby are at the height of its services. V8 propels from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.21 s, a performance worthy of the current GT, and leads to the speed of 220 km / h, excellent performance for its time and still relevant today.
Fifty GT 500 1967 equipped V8 developing 427 above about 450 hp will be produced.
In 1968, the GT 500 and its little sister, the 350 GT, experiencing a facelift that still stand out a little more mustangs series. The front is more personalized, taillights Cougar are bartered against those of the Ford Thunderbird. Also appears convertible versions.
During vintage, the V8 Police Interceptor is exchanged against the V8 428 Cobra-Jet above 406 hp, which gives wings to the Shelby. 0 to 100 km / h is then shot in 4.85 s. The arrival of this new engine sees the GT 500 to add to his name the letters KR for "King of the Road."
In 1969, the Shelby Ford factories closer to taking control of their production, GT 350 and GT 500 are then produced in the chain and not by hand as the previous two years. The quality is the beneficiary, but the exotic side exit from manufacturing to the former.
GT then adopted a radically different style of previous vintages. The front is a precursor of future vintages of his cousin at Ford. Fires are deeply embedded in the front wings, long spans disappear, hood scoops exchange two against five air intakes, scoops custodes disappear to make room for ice cream, and those rear wheel arches migrate behind door handles. bands underbody migrate towards the middle of the flanks. The trunk gets a black headband adorned with chrome letters SHELBY, the remaining taillights them the same as the previous vintage.
Production GT 500 and GT 350 will stop at the end of the year and Shelby sold will be available for sale next year with some slight alterations.
The GT 500 "classic" is given to honor the cinema in 2000 in the movie Gone in 60 Seconds, where Eleanor, a 1967 GT 500 significantly altered by owner1 appears.
For film producers have built twelve Shelby GT 500 Ford Mustang from 1967 to 1968. Transformed into lookalikes of the GT 500, they were essentially motorized V8 4.6L 271 hp, the latter being equipped with a big-block 390 above 6.4 L 325 hp, all equipped with automatic transmissions.
The only real Shelby GT 500 1967 which runs on the board was that which was offered, as amended in the film, the director. This Mustang was equipped, like all Shelby, V8 Police Interceptor 428 s assistant manual four-speed box. Like its cousins used for filming, she received a new front end, which added two passes for mini-flashers flanking the grille. The time bumper spoiler was replaced by a composite housing which had long worn headlights. The two inputs of the hood air were replaced by a boss. Shelby rims 15 inches were replaced by replicas of Ford GT40 rims 17 inches. The fuel door emigrated of lights onto the left rear fender.
The chassis has undergone many changes, such as replacing the front and rear shocks, the addition of a roll bar, torsion bars ... The exhaust exits lead to the rear wheels, under the cockpit, 428 and give the latter an angry noise.
Finally, the engine is "supported" by adding a kit NOS (Nitrous Oxide Systems), which gave him gain extra power.
From 2002 to 2007, the GT 500 E ("Eleanor") are produced under license by Shelby Unique Performance, an independent studio located in Texas from old Mustang and with diverses1 engines. After a series of complaints from customers and decision justice2 Unique Performance cease all activity and dissatisfied customers turn against Carroll Shelby itself3. Shelby eventually granted in October 2009 a license agreement to Classic Recreations, a company of Oklahoma, to produce a car (still based on the original Mustang 1967) under the name GT 500 CR
In 2005, the GT 500 is back, presented by Ford at New York Auto Show. Developed by Ford SVT (Special Vehicle Team) under the watchful eye and guidance of Carroll Shelby, she is the worthy descendant of the 1967 GT 500 which it is inspired. Based on the Ford Mustang then, it includes most, with several modifications bonus: more aggressive front end, front spoiler, interspersed hood air intakes, flared fenders, 18-inch wheels, integrated into the spoiler trunk lid, rear diffuser, red, blue or white with white, blue or red stripes and Cobra badges on the front air intake, the trunk and the front wings. The engine is a V8 5.4-liter supercharged 500 hp, making it the most powerful Mustang of all time.
In 2007, Ford introduced the Ford Shelby GT 500 KR, with a supercharged 5.4-liter engine developing 540 hp. In 2008, the Super Snake package is available to boost the 2007 models and give them a power of 605 hp
In 2010, the Shelby Cobra Mustang GT 500 is redrawn (as is the Mustang "basic"), its body gives it more support while reducing traînée6. Always developed by Ford SVT division, it will undergo constant improvements in subsequent years both in terms of chassis and engine (more powerful and less greedy) and style. Its handling in particular, will be significant improvements.
In 2013 a new model appears with a V8 engine developing 662 hp 5.8 L.