Shelby Mustang - the legend of American roads

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Mustang Shelby GT 500 is a car with a long and interesting history. He is not just a vehicle, he is a legend of the American automotive industry. Few cars can boast such a pedigree and such characteristics as this model "Mustang". What is so unusual about it, you will learn from this article.

Creation

"Ford Mustang" became the trump card of the company in the age-old confrontation between "Ford" and "Chevrolet". The predecessor of the Mustang, the Falcon, began to lose ground in the fight against the Corvair Monza, and it was decided to launch a new car that outperforms its competitors in all respects. So, in 1964, the world saw the first "wild stallion" in the back of a convertible. The silhouette, unusual for those times, with a long hood and a short tail has retained its features in modern Mustang models.

Bestseller - "King of the Road"

Soon the Shelby Mustang became a bestseller. This was facilitated not only by sportsdesign and high dynamic performance, but also a fairly low price. The use of some elements from the Falcon model made it possible to reduce the cost of production of the Mustang, which made it even more popular. In 1967, Ford, together with Carroll Shelby, developed a sports modification of the Shelby GT 500 with a Galaxy engine. This increased the already considerable demand for the Mustang, because the car was even more powerful and faster. The top version of 1968 bore the proud name of the Shelby Mustang GT 500 KR (King of Road).

Mustang Shelby Specifications

Under the long hood with two stripes settled 7-liter Cobra Jet with a claimed capacity of 355 horsepower. It is worth noting that the actual number of "horses" was more than the manufacturers said. The GT 500, in addition to a more powerful engine, also had developed air intakes for blowing the rear brakes, a spoiler on the trunk lid, a longer body, an original exhaust system and large fog lights on the grille. Even the horse emblem has been replaced by a cobra, the hallmark of Shelby cars.

Dimensions are 4.66 x 1.81 x 1.44 meters, the car is rear-wheel drive, has a 4-speed manual transmission. It can reach speeds of up to 203 km / h, while it takes only 4.3 seconds to accelerate to a speed of 100 km / h. The volume of the fuel tank is 61 liters. But fuel consumption is even rather big: in the city up to 28 liters per 100kilometers, on the highway - up to 21. The body type of the Shelby Mustang is a fastback coupe, and the landing of rear passengers in it is not very convenient. However, this car belongs to a sports car, not a family car, so it simply does not need extra seats, like passengers.

Screen Star

The 1967 Mustang Shelby GT 500 was the star of the 2000 film Gone in 60 Seconds. This car is known around the world as the Ford Mustang Shelby Eleanor, and its copies are sold in thousands of copies. In 2008, a GT 500 KR K. I. T. T. was built specifically for the Knight Rider series. Thus, "Mustang" again became the star of the screen. Its limited edition copies sold like hotcakes.

But not only in this tape "King of the Roads" appeared. In the movie I Am Legend, the protagonist drives a Mustang Shelby GT. Also, the car was captured in the films "Kick-Ass", "Transformers", in one of the parts of "Fast and the Furious", "Deal with the Devil". This is not a complete list of films in which the "Ford Mustang" is the "iron horse" of the protagonist.

Road King Returns

In 1970, the production of Shelby models was discontinued. This pause dragged on for a long 36 years - the Ford Shelby Mustang GT-H appeared before the public in 2006. Despite a significant "facelift", "Mustang" has retained the corporate style of the model - the same muscular body with a longhood and short trunk. The engine has become even more powerful: the 2006 GT 500 modification had a 5.4-liter engine with 507 horsepower. The release and improvement of Mustangs continues to this day and is not going to stop.

What has changed since returning

The Super Snake package from Shelby can add a few dozen more horsepower to the regular GT 500. The most modern version of the Ford Mustang GT 500 Super Snake has a speed of over 320 km/h with a power of 850 horsepower. Cars are equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission Tremec. The Shelby GT 500 has always been a more technological version of the Mustangs, and at the moment the machines are equipped with the most modern “gadgets”: traction control systems, road stability, upgraded brakes and suspension are aimed at maximum handling.

The GT 500 keeps up with the times to give its owners the ultimate in driving pleasure. Together with the Shelby company, the Ford SVT division is also involved in finalizing the Mustangs. The Shelby Mustang with the SVT Performance package costs $5,500 more and has a glass roof. This model "Mustang" became a style icon and the founder of a whole class of cars - the pony car.

Interesting facts about the Mustang Shelby GT 500

• The car was created in opposition to the competitor - Chevrolet Camaro SS.
• Included in the list of 10 cars that changed the world.
• For car collectors to have Mustang Shelby GT 500considered very prestigious.
• The Shelby was named after the driver who won Le Mans in 1959;
• The Shelby Mustang featured in Gone in 60 Seconds still exists in real life, owned by the film's director's widow.
• Initially, the car model was named after the American fighter "North American P-51 Mustang" during World War II, and then the name began to mean a wild horse.

The cost of the car is quite high - from 70,000 to 150,000 dollars. It all depends on the condition of the car and the demand for it. Since the Ford Mustang was made and assembled in a very high quality compared to modern cars, even in a very "worn" condition, it is worthy of admiration. Particularly in demand are models in the body kit "Eleanor", which allows the tuning studio to receive astronomical profits in this business. Having become the iconic "King", the car does not fall in price - this is a legend that will have a long existence.