Shelby South Africa has announced that it will offer local buyers the Ford F-150 in right-hand-drive guise in limited numbers from the end of 2019.
Three Shelby-spec versions of the beefy bakkie will be available: the Shelby F-150, the Shelby Super Snake F-150 and the Shelby Raptor Baja Edition.
According to a customer process document we received from Shelby SA, customers will be required to enter into a purchase agreement for the conversion, with Shelby SA facilitating the purchase of their chosen F-150 from the United States. This includes the import documentation, sourcing, payment process, shipping and subsequent clearing and delivery of the vehicle to Port Elizabeth.
Shelby SA says the client should “allow an average of 80% on cost to the amount that the vehicle will cost in US dollars” (for shipping, import duties, VAT, etc.), adding that “in terms of legislation, the customer may not transfer the vehicle out of their name for a minimum of two years”. Shelby SA says that “as a guideline, depending on specification”, the invoice from the US-based Ford dealership will be “between $50 000 and $75 000” (at the exchange rate at the time of writing, that’s between R628 000 and R941 000).
It adds that “depending on the ruling exchange rate, the final cost of the conversion of the vehicle to Shelby and right-hand-drive specification will be between R1,2-million and R1,5-million”. We’ll leave you to do the maths…
Shelby SA says it will invoice for the final cost of the conversion, with the client required to pay a deposit of R950 000 in the case of the Shelby F-150, R1 100 000 in the case of the Shelby Super Snake F-150 and R1 350 000 in the case of the Shelby Raptor. The balance will be required prior to delivery of the completed vehicle.
The conversions will be carried out in Port Elizabeth at Hi-Tech Automotive, which Shelby SA says will also handle the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications approval, clearance documentation and the entering of the vehicle onto the eNatis System. Shelby will then arrange to deliver the vehicle to the client, who also has the option of collecting it in PE.
The local firm says the estimated lead-time is six months from the date of deposit, “subject to unforeseen delays out of our direct control and production capacity”.
For the record, the Shelby F-150 and Super Snake F-150 both make up to 563 kW after Ford’s 5,0-litre V8 engine has been supercharged, while the Shelby Raptor’s 3,5-litre twin-turbo V6 churns out more than 390 kW. All manner of exterior, interior, under-bonnet and suspension enhancements are also included in the conversion.
