is it a real Shelby?

It's an SVT Mustang with Caroll Shelby's name on it. The only real new Shelby's are the CS-6, GT-H, and then the upcoming Shelby GT. They all have body tags on the interior dash.

It's a SVT Mustang with Shelby's name & approval on it and a couple of Shelby design suggestions built in it.

It is every bit as much a real Shelby as the 1968, 1969 & 1970 Shelby's are. Those cars were mostly designed by Ford and built by a subcontractor (A.O. Smith Co.) in Livonia, MI.

If you're a nit picker then you can argue that the 1965, 1966 & 1967 Shelby Mustangs are the only "real" Shelbys as they are the only ones that were designed and built by Shelby American in a Shelby leased facility.

Then again the real Shelby purests will argue that the 1965 Shelby GT-350 is the only "real" Shelby Mustang as starting with the 1966 GT-350 they were dumbed down to save $$ and to appeal to a broader range of customers.

So call the 2007 GT-500 whatever way you want it if it makes you happy.

:Word:

351CJ said:

It's a SVT Mustang with Shelby's name & approval on it and a couple of Shelby design suggestions built in it.

It is every bit as much a real Shelby as the 1968, 1969 & 1970 Shelby's are. Those cars were mostly designed by Ford and built by a subcontractor (A.O. Smith Co.) in Livonia, MI.

If you're a nit picker then you can argue that the 1965, 1966 & 1967 Shelby Mustangs are the only "real" Shelbys as they are the only ones that were designed and built by Shelby American in a Shelby leased facility.

Then again the real Shelby purests will argue that the 1965 Shelby GT-350 is the only "real" Shelby Mustang as starting with the 1966 GT-350 they were dumbed down to save $$ and to appeal to a broader range of customers.

So call the 2007 GT-500 whatever way you want it if it makes you happy.

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It still goes in the Shelby registry I believe.

The original Shelbys never sold for above sticker, so why should the 2007 Shelby?

Back in the good old days, Shelbys were hard to sell. Leftover 1969 Shelbys were reworked to make them 1970 models.

351CJ said:

The original Shelbys never sold for above sticker, so why should the 2007 Shelby?

Back in the good old days, Shelbys were hard to sell. Leftover 1969 Shelbys were reworked to make them 1970 models.

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This '07 Shelby GT500 may go down in history as the most overhyped Ford ever. If one compares the car to the previous generation Cobra, there seems very little to justify the increase in MSRP from $35,000 to $43,000 (a 23% increase) considering that a new '06 Mustang GT Premium commands a modest 4% increase in base MSRP versus the the '04 model.

The new GT500 Cobra has identical 0-60 mph and 1/4 mile times and really doesn't beat the old Cobra in any performance category according to Car and Driver tests from 2002 for the previous version and this year for the new model. While the new chassis, styling and interior are an incremental upgrade from the previously well engineered Cobra, the car has a solid rear axle, which should have saved weight and made the car cheaper to build (as well as better for going fast in a straight line). On the other hand taking off weight from the rear and adding to the front with the larger heavier engine hasn't helped the handling any. This car is overweight just like the 69-70 GT500 Shelbys were (weight of a '69 GT500 = 3840 pounds; weight of a '07 GT500 = 3896 pounds).

When looking objectively at this package, it boggles the mind to think people are paying up to $20,000 over an already questionable MSRP for a car just because it carries the Shelby name. I quess there really is a sucker born every minute.

waynekohn8 said:

This '07 Shelby GT500 may go down in history as the most overhyped Ford ever.

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I tend to agree with your assessment.
If the Terminator Cobra was a $35K car, then the GT-500 should be a $40K car at the most.

But being successful in the car business is about hype and over selling. I really don't understand how anyone would pay >$100K for a Porsche or >$300K for a Ferrari. It's all hype.

So lets at least give Ford a pat on the back for all the hype Ford has managed to generate on the GT-500 and how that marketing hype has suckers - I mean customers - paying >$60K for a Mustang.

FWIW: I grew up lusting after classic muscle. Dreaming of being surrounded by Yenkos, Shelbys and the like. The fact that this car is out today makes me think that i may not be as unlucky as i thought... maybe i will have the opportunity to enjoy the car hobby the way it was back in the 60s and 70s... if i didn't have other priorities at the current time, i'd already have my white GT500...

(I wonder how many of these cars will be bought up and locked away to surface in 10-20 years)