Information on the 1967 Shelby GT 500 Ford Mustang

Newer Mustangs owe a debt to the 1967 version.

The 1967 Mustang GT500 served as the culmination--and the crowning achievement-- of the agreement between former race car driver Carroll Shelby's "Shelby American" corporation and the Ford Motor Company.

Time Frame

Eager to continue the innovation established with the debut of the 1964 Ford Mustang, and hoping to move the vehicle into direct competition with the more powerful Chevy Corvette, Ford contracted with Carroll to move the car even farther into muscle territory. Shelby American worked on the project from 1965 through 1967, introducing models with varying degrees of street worthiness.

Debut

Ford debuted the GT500 at the 1967 New York Auto Show. "The 1968 Shelby Cobra GT500KR was a mid-year introduction, based on the 1968 Shelby GT500," wrote the company in a 2008 press release. Although some consider the vehicle to be a 1967 model--since it appeared in that year--Ford officially recognizes the car as a 1968 delivery.

Changes

Although Shelby and Ford partnered again for the vehicle's 40th anniversary, releasing the 2007 Shelby GT500, the two companies parted ways soon after 1967, with Shelby suffering from disillusionment about what he considered a watering-down of his original muscle car. Another company took over production of the Shelby, producing a model in 1969, but the make faltered in the early 1970s.

References

• "Motor City Muscle"; Mike Mueller; 1997
• Ford.com: Ford Shelby GT500KR Returns in 2008