After a five-year hiatus, the Shelby GT Ford Mustang has made a return for the 2014 model year.
John Luft, president of Shelby American said that “The Shelby GT was one of the most significant cars in recent days of Shelby history.” He also said “It kicked off Shelby’s rebirth in Las Vegas by putting a Mustang-based small block car into Ford dealerships. Ever since the Shelby GT went out of the production, people have clamored for its return.”
In 2007, Ford Division, Carroll Shelby and Ford Racing created the Shelby GT. Beginning as 4.6L Mustang GT’s assembled at Ford’s Flat Rock, Mich. plant, they were shipped to Shelby in Las Vegas for transformation. The 320HP 2007 Shelby GT coupes were all Performance White or Black with silver stripes. In 2008, Shelby added Vista Blue and a choice of coupe or convertible. About 8,000 Shelby GT’s were built.
The Shelby GT was wildly popular and the people who snagged one have been one of the most passionate owner groups. The cars were often tailored with custom parts to fit an owner’s personality and then driven hard on both the street and track. The Shelby GT totally dominated its SCCA racing class in 2007 and 2008.
“Based on the standard Mustang GT, the total cost of our entry-level 2014 Shelby GT is only about $45,000, yet offers so much more than the previous model,” said, Gary Patterson, Shelby American VP of Sales. “The performance-to-price ratio makes the Shelby GT perfect for any serious pony car enthusiast.”
The new Shelby GT is a post-title program; Ford dealers send a customer’s Mustang GT coupe or convertible to Shelby for upfit. Every material performance aspect of the car is enhanced or replaced to create a potent, balanced performer worthy of the Shelby name. Entry-level package upgrades include a Ford Racing suspension, Shelby branded exhaust, intake and engine tune for 430 HP, specially designed wheels and tires, short shifter, hood and Le Mans stripes that make it uniquely Shelby. Every Shelby GT version is 50 state emissions legal and runs on pump gas.
One of the car’s most appealing aspects is the opportunity for personalization. Choosing from an array of options, customers can opt for a more hard-edged suspension, better braking and supercharger upgrades, as well as a vast selection of performance and styling parts from Shelby Performance Parts.
The 624 HP Shelby GT/SC version is expected to blast from 0-60 mph in about 3.7 seconds; the quarter mile time should be in the mid 11 second range. The car should also pull over 1 G on the lateral skid-pad.
“No other carmaker offers this level of performance, heritage and iconic styling at this price, making the Shelby GT the best all-around American car in its class,” said Luft. “Each car will be issued a Shelby American CSM number for documentation in our Shelby American Worldwide Registry to help maximize potential future value.”
The price of the base Shelby GT package, not including the car, is $14,995, making a nicely equipped car about $45,000 in total. The car price Shelby GT/SC begins at $27,995.
