History continues to play out on the Mustang stage both looking forward and back. Tonight Carroll Shelby made his trademark jokes about “going flat” and casting his longevity off as a feather in the wind to the crowd at the Barrett-Jackson opening gala. The evening marks the celebration of the 45th Anniversary of the Shelby GT-350 Mustang.
After remarks of race car driver Rick Titus and Shelby American President Amy Boylan the cover was pulled on the car that Carroll said may be his last hoorah. The 2011 Shelby GT-350 edition Mustang concept represents the resurrection of the famous icon, a car that will be offered later this year in small numbers to a select few. “Provided I’m here, I’m gonna drive each car as it comes off the assembly line, sign it and put the serial number on it”, Shelby said to the crowd.
The first look at a supercharged 5.0 Mustang, the Shelby GT350 concept was quite a shock to the assembled thousands gathered in the big tent at Barrett-Jackson Auction tonight. In creating the new car, the Shelby American team worked with experts from Ford Racing, Goodyear, Borla, Cragar and Baer to create a car that is fast and has razor sharp handling befitting the iconic GT-350.
Every segment of the car is enhanced or replaced to create the ultimate balanced performance pony car that is true to the spirit of the 1965-1970 MY Shelby GT350. This includes replacement of all non-metal body panels including the front and rear fascias. A custom hood is added along with a completely new rear end treatment that includes center dual exhaust, a retro-themed set of back-up lights, and a blacked out rear tail panel.
Under that hood is our first view of a Ford Racing supercharger on the new 5.0 engine. While horsepower specs have not been released, Shelby states the goal of 500 horsepower. The supercharger sits between a handsome set of Shelby blue valve covers with billet trim.
Big Baer brakes with functional cooling ducts are at each corner to stop the new GT-350. Around those binders are exclusive 19” Cragar wheels and Goodyear rubber. The suspension was upgraded with new Ford Racing springs, struts, sway bars and adjustable caster/camber plates.
The new GT-350 will come in any color you want as long as it is white with guardsman blue Le Mans stripes. Functional scoops are located on the side rockers and hood. GT-350 badges on the outside and inside include a Shelby serial number. The A pillar carries a fuel pressure, oil pressure and boost gauge.
Perhaps disappointing to some is that this new Shelby GT-350 is a post title program. This means that you have to purchases a car from your local Ford Dealer and then ship it off to Shelby to be converted. Your new 2011 Mustang GT and a check for $33,995 is all you need. Owners will be able to order their new Shelby GT-350 through a dealership and have it drop-shipped to Shelby in Las Vegas.
Inside and out Shelby has poured on the doo-dads to make this car a very comprehensive package. While this is all good, one has to wonder why so much is added when the original Shelby GT-350 made it’s path through the history books on it’s plain wrapper persona. But while we here at TMN would have been very pleased with a lightened up plain-Jane white Mustang GT with blue stripes, and all the mechanical mods to make the music, we understand there is a market out there for a full boat ride.
2011 Shelby GT-350 Mustang Package:
