In 1965, Carroll Shelby transformed the Ford Mustang from a sporty coupe to a legendary racer with the Shelby GT350. Shelby American churned out high-performance Mustang variations for five years until their partnership with Ford ended in 1969.
Fast forward to 2006. Shelby and Ford reunited again to create another special Mustang: the Shelby GT-H. Just like the GT350 40 years earlier, these 500 limited-edition cars were sold through Hertz, the rental car company.
The GT-H’s success paved the way for a broader audience to experience Shelby’s magic. In 2007, the Shelby GT became available to the public. This Mustang boasted a 4.6L V8 engine with performance upgrades like a cold air intake system, an X-pipe exhaust, and a throatier muffler kit, pushing horsepower to a healthy 319. Handling was also sharpened with a racing suspension that lowered the car for a more planted feel.
At a base MSRP of $36,970, the 2007 Shelby GT slotted in between the Mustang GT and below the supercharged Shelby GT500. Ford saw the 500-horsepower Shelby GT500 as the ultimate in Shelby Mustang performance and the Mustang GT as the default performance Mustang, so the opportunity for the Shelby GT was to be positioned as a more dynamic, more engaging version of the Mustang GT that was just shy of the top dog GT500.
Photo Source: Cars & Bids
