Wild Mustang a posthumous Shelby tribute

Ford has helped to create an 850hp Mustang-based monster to commemorate legendary Blue Oval tuner Carroll Shelby, who died in May at the age of 89.

The one-of-a-kind 2013 Shelby GT500 Cobra coupe was jointly developed by Ford, Friends of Carroll Shelby and Shelby American to also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mustang-based Shelby Cobra.

Painted in the Cobra’s familiar Guardsman Blue hue with Wimbledon White centre stripes, the purpose-built GT500 is powered by a supercharged Ford Racing V8 with enough performance to satisfy even the late great man himself.

The blown 5.8-litre all-alloy V8 develops no less than 625kW, representing a substantial 138kW increase on the standard Shelby GT500’s 487kW output, thanks to the addition of a Ford Racing 4.0-litre Whipple supercharger. Putting all that to the ground are massive 345-section rear tyres on 20x13-inch wide alloy wheels, while the one-off muscle-car also features a unique Shelby American bonnet, Shelby Wilwood brakes and wider rear body kit.

As well as helping to create the unique GT500, Ford has also paid tribute to Shelby by renaming one of the roads at its Product Development Center in Dearborn in his honour: Carroll Shelby Way. Ford Motor Company Global Vice-President for Sales and Marketing, Jim Farley, said Carroll Shelby, who influenced cars including the iconic Ford GT40 supercar and current Mustang coupe in a Ford tuning career spanning most of the past 60 years, was an inspiration to Ford’s designers and engineers over the past 50 years.

“Even at 89 years of age, Carroll was an inspiration to us all,” he said. “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.

“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.

“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,” said Mr Farley.

The posthumous four-wheeled tribute was unveiled by Mr Farley, FoMoCo board member Edsel Ford II and Shelby American president John Luft at the weekend’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion in California, where Cobra was the marque of the 2012 show.

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