Friends of Caroll Shelby, Ford Motor Company and a host of others have created a 633 kW once-off Shelby Mustang GT500 Cobra in honour of the late Caroll Shelby, who passed away in May this year.
Where most of us can expect a tearful eulogy or plaque on a park bench once we’ve shuffled off the mortal coil, Caroll Shelby; creator of the iconic Shelby Cobra Mustang, has had a stunning once-off version of the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Cobra built as a tribute to his contribution to the Blue Oval.
This commemorative creation; designed by Friends of Carroll Shelby, including Ford Motor Company, Shelby American, Ford Racing and many others, is based on the 493 kW 2013 Shelby GT500, but with a serious shot in the arm.
By bolting a Ford Racing 4,0 Whipple supercharger to the donor car’s engine, the aforementioned team has managed to endow this wide-bodied Mustang with a staggering 633 kW. No wonder the rear tyres are 13-inch wide, 345-section performance items covering 20-inch wheels clamped by a Shelby Wilwood braking system!
The styling is a collaborative effort between Ford Motor Company and Shelby American that incorporates a wide-body kit, a specially commissioned bonnet and a Guardsman Blue paintjob with Wimbledon Whit stripes as a nostalgic nod to the Cobra roadsters of the 1960s.
The unique tribute car was unveiled by Ford Motor Company board member Edsel Ford II, Ford’s group vice president for sales and marketing Jim Farley, and Shelby American president John Luft at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion where Cobra is the marque of show for 2012.
“Even at 89 years of age, Carroll was an inspiration to us all,” said Farley. “This year marks the 50th anniversary of the original Shelby Cobra. The one-off car we have created represents the very idea he had about making the 2013 Shelby GT500 into a true Cobra.”
Ford has also paid further tribute to Shelby by naming the route through passing its Product Development Centre to the proving ground in Dearborn Michigan Carroll Shelby Way.
“Sadly, Carroll Shelby is no longer with us, but his spirit lives on with the designers and engineers he interacted with over the years and he will continue to influence Ford performance cars for many years to come,” says Farley.
