Throughout the racing career of Carroll Shelby and on into his own body and design shop, he dreamed of a muscle car that could carry the name 'Cobra' and represent it in the way that it deserved. When the chance came up for him to get involved in a groundbreaking car design in 1967, he jumped at the chance, which is an excellent thing for all the Mustang fans out there because if he didn't, the 1967 Shelby GT500 would not have ever been an idea, let alone a piece of history that was the predecessor of many more GT variations to come. Let's take a look back at this iconic car and learn some things that should already be known by every classic muscle car enthusiast.
10 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake Is The Rarest Muscle Car In The World
There have been many classic muscle cars throughout the ages that saw under 100 vehicles to be produced. Primarily because of the cost of building them at the time, which is why there were only two 1967 Shelby GT500s produced. One is said to have been driven into a large body of water and was destroyed, while the other was auctioned off for a mind-blowing $2.2 million through a Mecum Auction. At the time, it set a new record for the most valuable Mustang sold, but it has now been outsold a couple of times, putting it as the third most expensive model to be bought and sold to date.
9 It Had The Infamous Racing 427 V-8
One of the main aspects of the Super Snake car that set it above the other 1967 Shelby GT500 cars was what was found under the hood. The original 428 V-8 Police Interceptor was replaced with the big block 427. Not the average run-of-the-mill 427 V-8, though. It was the big block engine used in the race car version, the GT40 MkII, which had won numerous races throughout the season. The engine is claimed to have around 520 horsepower and a tire-ripping 500 pound-feet of torque.
8 Big-Block 428 Police Interceptor Under The '67 GT500's Hood
The basic level of the 1967 Shelby GT500, if it can be called a basic muscle car, did not have as drastic of an engine under the hood as the Super Snake did, but it was impressive in its own right. The 428 Police Interceptor big block is reported to push out 355 horses and could produce up to 420 pound-feet of torque. That combination and the suspension and drivetrain upgrades could scoot the car down the quarter-mile track in around 15 seconds and accelerate from a standstill to 60 within 6.6 seconds.
7 Dual Holley 4 Barrel Carbs On Top Of The 428
With today's fuel-injected systems having a four-barrel carburetor on top of the manifold is a thing of the past. However, back in the '60s, that was how all the muscle cars received the perfect air-fuel mixture. The high-output engines, such as the 428 big block Police Interceptor, needed more fuel to match up with all the air coming in through the vents on the hood. That is when the dual four-barrel carburetor setup comes into the picture. The front carb takes care of the primary air and fuel going into the engine, but when extra power and torque are needed, the system will open the second carb up to offer more of each, providing more power and torque.
6 Extremely Underrated Horsepower In The 1967 Shelby GT500
After producing several 1967 Shelby GT500s, Ford tested and rated the engine at a mere 355 horsepower, which has been proven to be underrated even back when it came out of the assembly plants. Shelby America stated that the base engine could easily produce 365 horsepower, with some pushing out up to 410 horsepower, such as the one placed under the Cobra's hood. Either way, you look at it, the numbers Ford came up with for the 1967 GT500 were extremely underrated, which may be why it was not taken as seriously as it should have been by its rivals.
5 Suspension And Braking Upgrades To Allow For The Big-Block
Big block engines, such as the 427 Police Interceptor and the 428 Cobra Jet, weigh more than the average small block. Plus, when pushed to the top of their power and torque, they can cause severe twisting on the motor mounts. This has been known to bend the frame and snap the axles of cars that have not been upgraded. Shelby and his team thought of this, which is why the suspension was upgraded, the drivetrain components were secured better, and the axles distributed the torque more effectively with racing gears. To top it off, the team also upgraded the brakes to allow for the increased stopping power needed to slow down the beast with the big block.
4 Arguably The First Production Car With A Rollover Bar Standard
Many cars throughout history have prioritized the safety of their occupants, making the vehicle's roof heavier than needed to protect against rollover. Some carmakers use the back of the headrest and reinforce it to prevent the top from smashing all the way down. The 1967 Shelby GT500 went a step further and took an idea from the GT40 and built in a rollover bar, which is arguably the first car ever to install one within a production car.
3 The Reason The 1967 Shelby GT 500 Is A 500
Many car enthusiasts just accept that the '67 Shelby GT500 is a 500 instead of the 350 designations that the car used to carry. The new version is better in many ways, including replacing the original 289 or 390, but that is not the reason for the change in numbers. The actual reason the number was increased to 500 was all because of Carroll Shelby. He wanted to use a number bigger than any other carmaker had ever used, making the Shelby stand out above the rest in name and performance.
2 First Car Carroll Shelby Was Proud Of
Carroll Shelby is most commonly known for designing and building high-performance cars, but the reason that he was so good at it was that he used to be a high-profile race car driver. He knew what a car needed to perform at the top of the pack, so he put all his knowledge into the cars he helped create. It would be thought that before the Shelby was designed, he would have been proud of his accomplishments, which he was up to a point. He always knew that he could create more, something better, which turned out to be the GT500 in 1967. When talking about his accomplishments, Shelby stated that the 1967 Shelby GT500 was the "first car he was proud of."
1 The One And Only "Eleanor"
No discussion about the 1967 Shelby GT500 would be complete without discussing the one and only "Eleanor." It was the final car that Nicolas Cage and his crew had to steal in the movie "Gone In 60 Seconds." The unicorn that would always give him trouble when trying to drive, which of course, is not the case, but it definitely built up the suspense in the movie. The point is, though, that "Eleanor" was the only car out of 50 that was the main feature within the film, which is when the car became a true legend.
FAQ
Q: How much is the 1967 Shelby GT500 worth today?
The value of a car can vary considerably due to many factors, such as the condition and location of the vehicle. For most areas, a car in good condition can sell for up to $200,000, while some have gone for as much as $2.2 million, but that was the Super Snake version of the GT500.
Q: How many 1967 Shelby GT 500s were built?
For the 1967 production year, the carmaker created and assembled 2,048 Shelby GT500s. Contrary to popular belief, they did not all come with the more consumer-friendly 427. Some went with the race-ready 428, which was not a popular choice for anyone that drives the car off the racetrack.
Q: Which Shelby GT500 is the rarest?
There is no simple answer to this question because two are considered to be tied for the most rare title. The '67 Super Snake was created two times, but since one was totaled, only one is available worldwide. The convertible model was also only built once because of the lack of available fiberglass, which makes them both the most rare Shelby GT500.
Q: Is there a new GT500 on the market?
There is a 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 for sale on the market. It comes with a starting price tag of over $79,000 and has all the tech and luxury expected from a car today. Plus, it has a 5.2-liter supercharged motor that puts out 760 horses and has a torque rating of 625 pound-feet.