[1]Shelby’s Shelby. Photo: Mecum [2]
When you think of iconic Mustangs, there are a few film versions that come to mind: Steve McQueen’s 1968 fastbacks, and the “Eleanors” of both the original 1974 and 2001 versions of Gone in Sixty Seconds, among others.
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Here in the real world, however, none of those cars were ever owned by Carroll Shelby, the legendary racer, engineer, and visionary. And very soon, one of his previously-owned cars will be going up for auction: a 1969 GT500.
At a glance, the car looks simply amazing. It’s been confirmed that Shelby owned this car from its day of production all the way to 2003, when he sold it to its new owner. According to the owner, the car was at just 4,317 miles, despite its 33-year age at the time.
On the day of auction, the car will have gone through a full restoration, including the 428 engine which received a rebuild; fortunately, the car was able to retain its numbers-matching quality and legacy. As you may know, the 1969 Shelby Mustangs – both GT350s and GT500s – were the first to use Grabber paint: orange, blue, green, and yellow. The Shelby’s original Grabber Yellow paint looks terrific on this side of the restoration, and makes it one of only 18 to receive the color scheme.
[4]Since 1969 marked the last year that Shelby was partnered with Ford to produce the renowned Shelby Mustang (at least until 2003), it makes this particular car a living piece of history and will certainly add a great deal to the value. Add to that its rare paint and even rarer, three-of-a-kind 3.50 Traction-Lok rear axle, and you’ve got one breathtaking automobile.
It’s rather intriguing to think of, when you consider a previous time when one of Shelby’s personal cars was on an auction stage – like his very own AC roadster, which sold for over $5 million – and compare and contrast what this Mustang can bring to the table, versus a more modern GT500.
The auction is set to be held in Monterey come August, and you can check out the details of its listing here [2]. Now the question is, how much will it fetch? On the rational side, speculation is that it could sell for low- to mid-six figures. Place your bets below in the comments.
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