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01/21/07: The atmosphere on the block when the first 2007 Shelby GT rolled up onto the block was electric. The crowd had already seen a number of six figure cars this day and were becoming jaded to the excess. This car however rebooted the electrons in the room. A hushed crowd watched as the Speed Channel camera boom swung overhead, beaming the moment around the world for all to see. Carroll Shelby himself presided at the block smiling with a fatherly warmth, accompanied by his wife and Ford President of the Americas, Mark Fields. People outdoors watched on the jumbo-tron screens in the mild Arizona winter evening with anticipation.
After a few short words from Mark Fields and Carroll Shelby the bidding began. The crowd cheered an applauded as the bidding quickly stepped up to $500,000. Arizona home building industry magnate Ron Pratte was in the thick of it once again. He of course was the man who purchased last year's $600,000 Shelby GT-500 here at Barrett-Jackson.
The bidding stopped at $500,000 for some showmanship by Mark Fields and Mustang marketing manager Jim Owens. Opening the trunk, Jim pulled out a custom made Fender electric guitar painted to match the car, complete with Shelby GT graphics. While Jim held it in the air, Mark Fields announced that the guitar, also serial numbered #001 would be included with the car and that Carroll Shelby would sign it. If that wasn't enough, Fields added that the successful bidder would also earn the right to purchase the 2007 Shelby GT Mustang serial number #002 at MSRP. He added that this car was white with silver stripes.
This caused the crowd of nearly 25,000 people to erupt in a wave of applause as bidding began again. In a crack of the gavel the car sold for an astounding $600,000, matching last year's big sale. In the poetic theatre of it all the car went to successful bidder Ron Pratte.
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Like last year, the sale of the first production 2007 Shelby GT Mustang by Carroll Shelby and Ford was a charity auction in which 100% of the proceeds benefit the Carroll Shelby Children’s Fund.The big difference this year is that the buyer got to take his car home after the event, whereas the Shelby GT-500 that sold for $600,000 last year hadn't even been built yet.
In the days leading up to Saturday ’s sale of the Shelby GT Mustang #001 we asked a number of key Ford executives if they would guess what the sale price would be. All of them nervously danced. While he did not venture a prediction, Ford’s Mustang Brand Marketing Manager, Jim Owens did suggest that the Shelby GT Mustang #001 could likely be more valuable car than last year’s “first sale” GT-500 sale. This is because it has been built at Carroll Shelby’s shop in the same way it was done 40 years ago, while the Shelby GT-500 is of course manufactured in Flat Rock, MI by Ford. We could not agree more.
The 2007 Shelby GT Mustang starts life as a regular Mustang GT. Once off the production line it is shipped to Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas, NV where a transformation takes place. The car is fitted with a Ford racing suspension and a cold-air intake system. With a some software upgrades the car makes 325hp from the 4.6 liter 3-Valve V8, an increase of 25hp over stock. The car is finished off with Shelby trademark stripes, emblems and a numbered dash plaque signifying it’s authenticity.
Carroll Shelby holds the Fender Shelby GT guitar as bidding heads toward $600,000 
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