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(from Shelby Press Release) The Shelby G.T.500CR is sure to raise your pulse with its 545 horsepower and the reliablity of a fuel injected car. Each Shelby G.T.500CR is hand built at our facility located in Oklahoma. Modern amenities include authentic Shelby Performance Parts, rack and pinion steering, race inspired suspension, oversized disc brakes, and more. We start with an original 1967 or 1968 Mustang Fastback and perform a complete restoration including media blasting, sheet metal replacement and show winning paint and body. Each authentic Shelby G.T.500CR will be listed in the Shelby Worlwide Registry. Please read the vehicle specs below.

1967 Mustang Fastback Shelby G.T.500CR

Color availability:
Grey/Black ,Red/White, Blue/White, Black/Grey, Yellow/White
**Custom colors available upon request

Drivetrain:
427 C.I Crate Engine (545 H.P.)
Mass Flo Fuel Injection
Tremec Manual Transmission
9″ Fab 9 Rear w/ 3:70 Gear Ratio and Posi Traction Installed
Concept One Pulley System

Steering:
Rack and Pinion Steering Conversion (Power)
Flaming River Tilt Column (polished)

Interior:
Carroll Shelby Scat Rally Series 1000 Seats(Highback)
5 point Camlock Seatbelts
Carroll Shelby Signature Gauges
160mph Speedometer
Woodgrain Aluminum Steering Wheel
Old Air Products A/C System
Deluxe 1967 Door Panels
Deluxe 1967 Dash and Trim
Carroll Shelby G.T.500CR Console
Carroll Shelby G.T.500CR Floormats

Stereo system:
Pioneer CD Player w/ Removable Face
Classic Recreations LLC. Custom Trap Door
Pioneer Coaxial Speakers

Wheels and tires:
Shelby 427 Wheels 17X8 Front
Shelby 427 Wheels 17×9.5 Rear
High Performance Z Rated Tires 245/45/17 Front
High Performance Z Rated Tires 275/40/17 Rear

Exterior:
Authentic Carroll Shelby Exterior Fiberglass Enhancements
Sequential Shelby Taillights
Carroll Shelby G.T.500CR Emblems
Carroll Shelby Lemans Racing Gas Cap

Fuel:
Electric Fuel Pump
Stealth 18 Gallon Fuel Cell

Brakes:
Front: Shelby/Baer 13″X1.1″ Track System
Rear: Shelby/Baer 12″X.81″ Touring System
Slotted, Crossdrilled and Zinc Washed
Adjustable Rear Proportioning Valve

Electrical:
Trunk Mounted Battery
MSD Ignition

Exhaust:
BBK Long Tube Ceramic Coated Headers
Dual 2.5″ Mandrel Bent Exhaust
Magnaflow Mufflers

Cooling:
Becool Aluminum Crossflow Radiator
2-13″ Electric Cooling Fans

Chassis:
Tubular Sub Frame Connectors
Cosmetic Rollbar

Suspension:
Coilover Front Suspension
Coilover Rear Suspension
Oversized Sway Bars Front and Rear

Available Options:
Leather $1000
Flip Out Screen with DVD $1000
Right Hand Drive $12,500
GPS Tracking Device $499
** Custom options available upon request

Ford will be only producing 5,500 units of the 2011 Shelby GT500 for this model year. According to Ford spokesman Henry Platts, the move is not the result of slow sales, but rather a desire to maintain exclusivity. The GT500 has actually “exceeded expectations” with in excess of 3,300 orders already placed.

Not only are the sales doing well but people are ordering them with all the bells and whistles. There have been three times as many GT500 coupes ordered with the $1995 glass roof option as compared to the regular Mustang. 68 percent have been given the $3,495 performance package which includes 19 and 20 inch painted forged alloy wheels, 3.73 limited-slip rear end, tuned suspension, Gurney flap rear spoiler, etc. Also, 70 percent of all GT500s have been orered with the $2,340 electronics package which includes navigation, dual-zone HVAC, and Sirius/HD radio.

Although we have the word on the production stats, Platts says the automaker has no plans to dictate how that shakes out in the coupe/convertible bodystle mix. If you have been thinking about ordering one of these nasty snakes for 2011, we recommend you make up your mind rather quickly.

[Source: Ford]

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2011 FORD SHELBY GT500 IN HIGH DEMAND, RAPIDLY APPROACHING PRODUCTION LIMIT

• Annual production of the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 has been limited to 5,500 units to maintain exclusivity of the product

• Demand for the new 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 has exceeded expectations with more than 3,300 initial dealer and retail orders received to date

• Premium features including the glass roof and the Electronics Package with SYNC, navigation and HD Radio™ are exceeding expectations as consumers show an appetite for new features and technology

DEARBORN, Mich., July 12, 2010 – Customer demand for Ford’s new 2011 Shelby GT500 is growing nearly as fast as the world’s fastest production pony car. More than 3,300 orders have been placed for the new Shelby GT500. To ensure exclusivity, U.S. sales of the 2011 Shelby GT500 will be limited to 5,500 units.

“We are pleased with the pace of retail orders for the 2011 Shelby GT500,” said Fritz Wilke, Mustang brand manager. “The car continues to be popular with sports car enthusiasts and collectors who are blown away by the increase in horsepower and performance. The limited production of the 2011 should make this year even more desirable.”

The 2011 Shelby GT500 is powered by a new aluminum-block 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine, which produces 550 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque, a 10 horsepower increase over the 2010 model. The engine is 102 pounds lighter than its predecessor, delivering a better power-to-weight ratio, improved fuel economy, acceleration, handling and steering precision.

The new engine uses a state-of-the-art Plasma Transferred Wire Arc (PTWA) liner coating, a process that applies a 150-micron composite coating that contains nanoparticles on the internal surfaces of engine cylinder bores, replacing cast-iron liners typically used in aluminum engine blocks. The Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation honored the inventors of the Ford-patented PTWA technology with the 2009 National Inventor of the Year Award.

Customers are showing an appreciation for the GT500′s performance on and off the track, as well as its many features.

Standard 2011 performance features include the 550-horsepower aluminum 5.4-liter V8 engine, a new 2.75-inch exhaust system, revised brake cooling and pedal box construction for more consistent brake pedal efforts and feel, and electric power-assisted steering (EPAS). SVT worked hard to make EPAS better than the outgoing hydraulic steering system, with improved torque build-up and road feel.

New for 2011 is an optional glass roof providing customers with yet another open-air option that does not compromise the coupe’s versatility, headroom or climate-controlled environment. Three times more 2011 GT500s have been ordered with the glass roof compared to the base Mustang showing the popularity of this new feature.

Interior options have proven immensely popular, with almost 70 percent of the GT500s ordered with the Electronics Package, which includes voice-activated navigation, SIRIUS Travel Link™, HD Radio and dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control.

The new SVT Performance Package is also proving to be a popular option with just over 68 percent of coupe orders selecting the enhanced performance delivered through this all-new option. The package was developed to provide track performance. SVT engineers worked directly with Goodyear to develop all-new Goodyear Eagle® F1 SuperCar G: 2 tires that give this already great handling car supercar grip and control levels. The optional package also offers unique styling, staggered lighter wheels with 19-inch fronts and 20-inch rears, a numerically higher rear axle ratio, stiffer springs and dampers, and a lowered ride height. The SVT Performance Package is available on both the coupe and convertible.

Other standard items new for 2011 include high-intensity discharge headlamps, MyKey™ programmable vehicle key, integrated spotter mirror and fold-down rear headrests.
# # #

1967 Ford Mustang For Sale

On April 17, 1964, the Ford Mustang, with its long hood, short rear deck and sporty features, caused a sensation when it was introduced to the public at the New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens.

“When the Mustang was unveiled, the reaction was so positive that there was no doubt it was going to be a success,” recalls Joe Oros, chief designer of Ford’s original pony car – dubbed the 1964½ because it was launched at an unusual halfway point in the year.

Don Frey, product planning manager for the original Ford Mustang, says he knew the car was going to be a hit months earlier when the design team gave Ford employees a sneak peek at one of the prototypes.

“We built the first prototype in an experimental garage, and employees flooded the place to see it,” he said. “Their reaction was spectacular, and it was very revealing to us. We knew the car was going to be roaring success from the start.”

And what a success it was.

The 1964½ Mustang debuted at a price of $2,368 – a bargain even in 1964. Ford expected annual sales of about 100,000 units. But 22,000 Mustang orders were taken on the first day, and sales reached an astounding 417,000 in the car’s first 12 months on the market. Within two years, Mustang sales reached one million.

Frey says he believes the car had such dramatic appeal because the styling was very unusual for its day.

“The design was very European, particularly the front end,” he said. “There was no other car like it in North America at that time.”

Another facet of Mustang’s appeal was that it could be any vehicle the customer wanted it to be. The original Mustangs were available in three body styles – convertible, hardtop or fastback – with the most extensive list of options Detroit had ever offered. The Ford Mustang could be an economical “base” car, a macho high-performance car or a luxury car.

“Mustang was designed to be designed by you,” one of the original print ads declared. And it was true. Everyone who owned a Mustang believed no one else had a vehicle like theirs, and the vehicle had broad appeal.

“We were told to design a car that the ladies would love that the men would love just as much, and that’s exactly what we did,” said Oros.

Marketing studies conducted at the time showed that women bought as many Mustangs as men.

“They loved the styling, and the car was very affordable,” said Frey. “Women bought it by the thousands.”

Frey, now 86, is the proud owner of one of the original Mustangs – built in June of 1964. It’s a red hard top with a white interior, and he keeps it parked in his home garage.

“I have a driver who comes by, and we take it out,” he said. “To this day, people stop us and ask if it’s an original Mustang.”

At age 92, Oros says he’s still as passionate about the Mustang as he was 45 years ago.

“He wants me to stop in the middle of the freeway whenever he sees a Mustang, and I tell him that we can’t do that,” said Oros’ driver and caregiver Violeta Orlanda. “When we do stop somewhere, he searches the parking lot to find the Mustangs, and he insists on checking them all out in detail from front to back.”

Oros says his fascination and fondness for the pony car he helped create will never end.

“It makes me feel proud every time I see one,” explained Oros. “After all of these years, Mustang has never lost its luster.”

Frey is equally as proud.

“We created an icon,” he said. “And I had a hand in it.”

Information courtesy of Ford.

Many fancy themselves as speed freaks, but no can deny the ultimate form of speed lies not on the ground–but in the air.

For a fraction of the asking price for a Mecum auction Daytona, you can be the owner of America’s most praised fighter jet.  The North American F-86 Sabre drove the US Air Force to obtain air superiority over the skies of Korea in the 1950s.  The Sabre’s sleek design offered cutting-edge subsonic qualities, such as low-drag swept wings that provided superb maneuverability and speed.

GE turbojet engines, though different among the Sabre variants, could be expected to push this beauty up to 570 to 680 mph, depending on the exact model, while the ceiling hovers just below 50,000 ft.  Working Sabres range in price from $700,000 to $2,000,000, and hundreds of retired planes are waiting around for much less from Amazonia to the Balkans. chevy s10 for sale

You knew this was coming.

Shelby American has either reproduced or authorized reproductions of all its classics, from the Cobra 289 to the Ford GT40.  While some of those replicas are second-rate, the Shelby-made Cobras and authorized SuPerformance Daytonas are exceptional cars for the money.  We’ve always been suckers for the 289, though–easier to tame on the road than the 427.

Because of the large volume Shelby’s built up of his Cobra line since the ’90s, prices for these cars new or used aren’t absurdly high.  We’ve seen genuine Shelby-built later 289s for $70,000.  Just because we’re ragging on an overpriced auction car doesn’t we don’t like the name.

Keeping with our week-long series, today’s better alternative to an $11,000,000 Shelby Daytona is an entire Ferrari collection of old and new Maranello gems.  The Ferrari marque has produced hundreds of different specials over its many decades, but here’s are some that standout in our mind for value and style:

250 GT ($500,000): The venerable 250 series established Ferrari as the highest Italian pedigree, and the GT line brought the make’s V-12 glory to the social elite.  The “Lusso” trim was a limited edition featuring a more elegant bodystyle.  The most famous example belonged to Steve McQueen–though that one did sell for a ridiculous sum because of the celeb assocation.  Others typically range around a half-mil.   A lot, but you are paying for art as much as you are road pleasure.

Dino 246 GT ($120,000): The Dino line was a joint venture between Fiat and Ferrari.  Fiat had its own Dino, while Ferrari’s is the one that garnered all the praise.  The car, named after Enzo Ferrari’s fallen child, was never a real Ferrari, but a separate make sold alongside.  The 246 was the second road Dino and blended a light body with a mid-mounted six-cylinder engine.  It wasn’t much in speed, but neither was its target: the Porsche 911.  Driving a Dino requires discipline, as its road manners are fickle–but its ride carries genuine character.  It’s a beauty, and affordable by Ferrari standards.

365 GTB ($250,00): The last of the truly classic Ferraris, the 365 GTB was nicknamed the “Daytona.”  The name made sense, for the V-12 coupe made an everlasting mark in racing during the 1970s.  The Daytona’s most famous spot was in Miami Vice, though the topless car seen in the show was a mere replica.  Many spyders were built as conversions, with various degrees of quality.  The truth behind the Daytona is that it’s a terrible car for the road, driving with the road feel of a Dodge pickup.  But get into fourth gear and engine springs to life.  The 365 GTB runs about $250,000 in fair condition–not quite a bargain, but a good deal cheaper than other berlinettas that preceded it.

288 GTO ($200,000): The first true modern supercar, the 288 GTO defined the requirements: extremely fast, extremely powerful, extremely exotic, and extremely expensive.  Hitting six figures in the 1980s was unbelievable, but the 288 found hungry buyers.  While the GTO was meant to support a factory racing effort, the project was shelved.  The GTO is a bit of an oddity, abandoning the V-12 in favor of a twin-turbo 2.8 L V-8 that put out 400 hp.  That was an amazing figure for the notoriously emissions-strangled early ’80s.  While most things from the ’80s are woefully out of style, the 288 managed to keep its looks alive and well.

F430 Spider ($200,000): There’s little to argue with on this pick.  The styling is up for debate, but the F430 is still probably the best sports car in its class.  Its V-8 runs briskly, the interior is finely worked, the seats relaxed, and the transmission operates with no stress.  Agile, quick, yet somehow restrained, the 430 is the most refined exotic car we can think of.

599 GTB ($250,000): The 599 has brought back the Ferrari berlinetta tradition.  Beautiful, sleek, and powerful, the 599 is everything an Italian grand touring coupe should be.  Think of it as the proper heir to the 275 GTB of the 1960s, perhaps Ferrari’s “perfect” berlinetta.  There really isn’t any flaw we can think of with this car.

We reported a couple months back about a rare 1965 Shelby Daytona up for auction at Mecum.  The seller had hoped to have his car become a record-holder with a final bid between $10,000,000 and $11,000,000.  The final bid was nowhere near those figures.  The seller and Mecum group claim there was a post-auction offer of as much as $7,500,000, but the seller was still unsatisfied.

Here we go again.  The seller is pushing the Shelby coupe on the block once again, hoping this season’s Monterey auction will bring in a willing buyer up to the seller’s financial standards.

That’s going to be a hard sell.  With a shaky economy, classic American car values in the dumps, and an astonishingly high sales expectation, we find it very unlikely this car will hit the eight-figure mark.  The only cars we can count hitting eleven million have been Ferrari’s revered 250 Testa Rossas and GTOs.  Still, this Daytona is in marvelous condition, is extremely rare, and has real history behind it.

Not really.

The Hurst gang is putting out an entry-level “Competition Plus” edition of the Dodge Challenger, for those unable or unwilling to fork over the heavy expense of higher models.  The Competition Plus is really an upgraded setup akin to what you saw with the Shelby GT: there’s a special Eibach suspension, a fierce Magnaflow exhaust, 20″ alloys, exclusive color schemes, blackened labeling, a large hood scoop, a short-throw shifter, and an embroidered interior matched to the exterior tone.

It may surprise you all to hear that this could be our favorite Challenger yet–we stress the word could.  The upgrades are practical and everything looks good, but we’ll hold off until we see final pricing.