Details:

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500. Powered by Fords legendary 428 cubic inch (7.0 litre) V8 engine, this example is mated to the desirable four speed manual gearbox, which is exactly the way it left the factory back in 1967.

The Marti report on file confirms this car left the Ford factory on the 8th February 1967, heading for Shelby American Inc. to be completed. The Shelby American invoice on file for delivery to the dealer Marshall Motor Co in Mayfield, Ohio is dated 24rd March 1967.

This car was delivered in Nightmist Blue, Ford paint code 1903-A with a black interior, the colour combination the car still caries today.

The Marti report provides the following statistics on this car. It was one of 2,048 ordered in 1967, one of 1,376 with this engine/transmission, one of 510 painted in this colour and one of 420 with this paint/trim combination.

The car was delivered with the following options: extra cooling package, courtesy light group, fold down rear seat, power steering, power front disc brakes, interior décor group, heavy duty battery.

From the Marti report we can confirm the original Ford chassis number is correct for this car. The 428 cubic inch (7.0 litre) V8 engine has a casting number of 06ME-A and is date coded 6M22 (which is the 22nd December 1966), the gearbox number is stamped with the correct Ford chassis number and is date coded 6L11 (which is the 11th November 1966) and the differential has a casting number of SPEC all of which are correct for this car.

The current owner purchased this Shelby Mustang GT500 from Red Hills Rods and Choppers in St. George, Utah on 26th November 2009. There is an import approval on file dated 22nd December 2009 and it was imported into Australia in early 2010. At that time the odometer read 69,818 miles.

There is a VIC Roads Certificate of Roadworthy on file dated 4th March 2010, where the odometer reading is noted as 69,833 miles.

This car is documented in the SAAC Shelby Registry 1965 -1967, which notes that the car was restored by its previous owner Todd Vowell (2007 2009). Previous owners to Vowell are noted as Kelly Schulz from Texas and OJ Ranes from West Virginia. It is understood Vowell completed a ground up restoration on the car.

From the moment this Shelby rolled off the truck at our showroom we have all been smitten by it. The car has a real presence about it and the colour combination of Nightmist Blue blue with a black interior suits the car perfectly. The look is completed by the white Le Mans racing stripes, which the Shelby Registry notes were added when the car was restored.

When the current owner acquired the car it was fitted with standard Magnum 500 15 inch wheels. He loved the look of the 10 spoke alloy wheels which were offered by Shelby as an option and decided to fit 16 inch reproductions to his car.

Walking up to this car you cannot help but be impressed with its presentation. It is hard to believe that it was repainted some 18 years ago. The paint is still in excellent condition and it has retained a strong depth of colour as well as a deep gloss finish. We only noticed one very small imperfection on the leading edge of the left rear quarter panel.

The door and boot panel gaps are excellent, though the fibreglass bonnet sits slightly proud on each side.

The glass is most likely original as all the windows are showing the correct Carlite etching. It is all in a very good condition, with only some light scratches on the rear window. All the bright work on the car, including the badges, lights and lenses presents well.

The 16 inch wheels are in excellent condition with no kerb rash evident. They are shod with Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres, size 225/50ZR16. The tyres are still in very good condition but they are date stamped 5211 (week 52, 2011) and probably should be replaced if the next owner is considering doing some serious driving with the car.

Inside the cabin everything is beautifully presented. When you get behind the wheel you could easily time warp back to 1967, having just collected your brand new Shelby Mustang GT500 from the Marshall Motor Co in Mayfield, Ohio. The first thing that catches your eye is that beautiful wooden steering wheel with the Shelby badge in the centre. It feels quite thin for such a big muscle car, yet somehow it is exactly what you would expect from 1967. Next thing to catch your eye is the dashboard. The instruments are quite prominent and are beautifully presented. In the centre console youll find the original Ford AM radio which still works and underneath it two additional gauges, the oil pressure gauge and the amp meter. To complete the look there is of course Carrol Shelbys signature on the dashboard above the glove box.

The seats are in excellent condition and are very comfortable. The door cards, dash and even the carpets are similarly well presented. The foldable rear seat has probably never been used since the car was restored and presents like new. A lap sash seat belt along with a separate shoulder harness have been fitted for driver and passenger safety. It is understood these were an option when new. You will also notice a roll bar, which was standard equipment on al Shelby GT500s.

The engine bay presents exactly as you would expect on a car which has been restored with a very high attention to detail. Everything is neat, clean and tidy with all the correct ID plates, tags and decals in place.

Underneath, the car also presents really well. During the restoration a lot of time has been spent to reapply all the correct markings and colour codes in the correct places.

This Shelby has been part of a diverse collection and only used sparingly over the past 16 years, travelling less than 1,000 miles in that time. At time of photographing, the odometer read 70,583 miles.

The team at Oldtimer Australia has a soft spot for Shelbys, having sold a few of them over the years. There was a fight for the keys to test drive this one and after half an hour behind the wheel the report was in. You expect the baritone V8 rumble and the power that comes with it, but we were pleasantly surprised by how good this car feels on the road and how easy it is to drive.

There are no tricks or complicated starting procedures with this beast. You simply turn the ignition on, press the accelerator pedal once or twice, then turn the key further and the massive 428 cubic inch V8 engine fires up instantly and almost immediately settles into a smooth idle. When you are inside the car the engine is surprisingly quiet, particularly at idle. We always like to give the engine a little bit of time to warm up before we take the car out onto the road and into traffic.

As noted above, this Shelby Mustang GT500 is surprisingly easy to drive, even through city traffic. It just goes about its business without too much fuss. However, once the road in front of you opens up and you get the opportunity to put your foot down, you quickly realise what a special car this must have been in 1967.

The February 1967 issue of Americas Car and Driver magazine road tested an automatic Shelby Mustang GT500 and achieved a 0 60 mph sprint in 6.5 seconds and 0 100 mph in 16.6 seconds

We didnt try to match or better that, but it is fair to say this car will accelerate very quickly to the speed limit and beyond very easily. What we really love is just how brutish and raw the delivery of power actually is. And if anyone really cares, Car and Driver quoted fuel economy of 9-12 mpg!

The gearbox is smooth and the gear changes are very easy both up and down the box. This car is fitted with power steering, which makes it easy to manoeuvre and drive around town. Importantly, the steering still provides a really good feel through the delicate timber steering to the wheels on the road. Fortunately, the car is equipped with power assisted brakes which will pull the car up quickly and in a straight line when required . . . and that could be often in this car! The power assisted brakes do take a little bit of getting used to as they are surprisingly sensitive.

Accompanying the car is a spare wheel, jack and tool kit as well as a set of 15 inch reproduction Magnum 500 wheels. There is also a Marti report, US title from the state of Utah, the Shelby delivery invoice, a copy of the write up on the car from SAAC Shelby Registry and some other miscellaneous documentation.

Now offered for sale for the first time in 16 years and the first time ever in Australia, this beautifully presented, very original and correct 1967 Shelby GT500 would be a tremendous and noteworthy prize for any enthusiast or collector looking to experience one of Carroll Shelbys greatest hits.

Highlights:

- Beautifully presented example in a great colour scheme.
- Sparingly used since it was restored.
- Very original and correct example.
- Signed by Carroll Shelby.
- Fully sorted, ready to be used and enjoyed.

Price $389,950.


Background:

In 1899 automotive mechanic Henry Ford founded the Detroit Automobile Company with the backing of twelve investors. The first product produced by the company was a gasoline-powered delivery truck which was completed in January 1900. However, Henry Ford was a perfectionist which resulted in delays in putting cars on the market and as a result investors lost faith in him. The company floundered and was reorganised into the Henry Ford Company which was founded in November 1901. Internal struggles resulted into Ford leaving the company in 1902 and a year later the company was renamed as the Cadillac Automobile Company. Ford retained the rights to the name when he left the company.

In June 1903 he then founded the Ford Motor Company. Interestingly he was not the first president of the company. Only in 1906 did he become president. A position he held till 1919 before handing over the position to Edsel Ford.

The company flourished and between 1903 and 1908 the Ford Motor Company produced the models A, B, C, F, K, N, R, and S. In 1908 Ford introduced the Model T which became the worlds first mass produced car. Millions were sold over the next 20 years.

The Model T was superseded by the Model A in 1927. The Model A was the first car to have safety glass in the windscreen.

In 1929 Ford was contracted by the government of the Soviet Union to setup the Gorky Automobile Plant which ended up playing an important role in the industrialization of the country and played an important role during World War II.

During World War II the US department of war selected Ford to built the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber at its Willow Run assembly plant. Interestingly Fords subsidiaries in France and Germany produced military equipment for Germany at the same time.

In 1943 Edsel Ford passed away and for a brief period Henry Ford reassumed the position of president before handing it over to Henry Ford II in September 1945.

After World War II Ford continued building cars and in April 1964, at the New York Worlds Fair they introduced one of their best known cars, the Mustang. It became a real success for Ford. Originally Ford predicted they would sell 100,000 of them yearly, but they ended up selling 400,000 in its first year and sold the millionth Mustang within two years of its launch.

Racing driver Carroll Shelby, was also a noted builder of American performance cars. The roots of Shelby American Inc. date back to the early 1960s, when. Shelby needed a new platform to race and approached AC with the idea to install a big American V8 engine in their AC Ace. Ford came to the party and agreed to supply their Windsor V8 engines for the car. The rest, as they say, is history and the Shelby Cobra went on to become a legend.

Carroll Shelby, along with friend and driver Ken Miles, developed the Ford GT40, ultimately winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969. It remains the only American built car ever to win at Le Mans.

In 1965 Shelby American started building a high performance version of the Mustang, the GT350. It was powered by the 289 Windsor K-code engine modified by Shelby for greater performance. In 1966 Ford made an arrangement with Hertz and they added a special version of the GT350, the GT350H to their rental fleet.

In 1967 the GT500 was added to the line up. Powered by the 428 cubic inch Police Interceptor V8 which delivered 355 hp to the rear wheels, the GT500 was another step up.

The Shelby Mustang was a great success and has become a legend.