Shelby Mustang

Design, production, and service histories of our most popular subjects combined with top-notch color photograph.

It’s race time for the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500! Which American sports car will reach the finish line first?

When Ford wanted to add some spice to its new Mustang pony car in the mid-1960s, it turned to the talented, colorful, and opinionated Texan Carroll Shelby, who was then building the high-performance, Ford-powered Cobra racing sports car . The result: the Shelby Mustang GT350, perhaps the definitive performance Mustang of the muscle car era. Ford released its newest Mustang in 2005, the first truly all-new Mustang since 1979, returning the model to the spotlight. The most-talked-about versions of the new Mustang have been those with the Shelby name. Shelby himself was directly involved in defining what is the most powerful factory-produced Mustang ever. This up-to-the-minute history from award-winning authors Randy Leffingwell and David Newhardt traces the Shelby Mustang story from the early Shelby American cars built in a converted airplane hangar in Southern California to the 2010 version of the new Shelby Mustang.

Shelby Mustang details the entire story of these fantastic cars, from the early prototypes built in Shelby's Los Angeles shop to today's Ford-engineered high-tech performers. Written by one of the world's foremost authorities on Shelby automobiles, critically acclaimed author Colin Comer, and with a foreword by Lee Iacocca, the American automobile executive credited with the successful development of the Mustang, this is the definitive account of the Shelby. When Ford wanted to toughen up its super-successful new Mustang, they approached Carroll Shelby to give it the performance image it so sorely lacked. Beginning with a 1965 "K-Code" 289-cubic-inch-powered Mustang fastback, Shelby applied the same formula that had made his Cobra sports cars such devastating performers both on and off the track: more horsepower, less weight, balanced handling. The GT350 quickly established itself as a bonafide force in SCCA B-Production racing, twisting back roads, and boulevards alike—setting the course for future Shelby Mustangs, like the big-block GT500. Though those original Shelby Mustangs were done by 1970, Ford dusted off its Shelby relationship in 2006 and has been producing high-performance Ford Mustang Shelbys ever since. This is a must-have read for any fan of American performance cars, whether you're a muscle-era original or a 21st-century stormer.

When the Ford Motor Company needed a new car aimed at the youth market of the 1960s, it created the instantly-popular Mustang. When it decided to turn the Mustang into a true sports car it turned to Carroll Shelby. And when Shelby needed an engineer to develop what would become the classic Mustang GT350 he hired Chuck Cantwell.In Shelby Mustang GT350: My Years Designing, Testing And Racing Carroll's Legendary Mustangs Chuck Cantwell delivers a unique first-hand account of his years at the Shelby American company. Working alongside Shelby and a dedicated team, he succeeded in producing a car that was an immediate success on the race track and an iconic muscle car whose reputation remains unmatched after more than half a century.On a subject as popular as the GT350 new and definitive information is hard to come by, but that is exactly what Chuck provides. He shares fresh technical details, never-before-heard anecdotes, and corrects popular misconceptions about the GT350's origins and development. Chuck also covers his work on later cars like the GT500, as well as his critical role with the Shelby racing team in the Trans-Am series. His month-by-month narrative is supported by scores of photographs, including many from his own collection and those of other Shelby insiders, as well as technical drawings and company memos. Additional background information, data, and details are provided by co-author Greg Kolasa, an automotive historian who has spent decades researching and writing about Carroll Shelby's cars.Shelby Mustang GT350 is a vivid, fact-filled account of how the man Carroll Shelby dubbed Mr. GT350, led the effort to create an American automotive legend. It's precisely the book that Shelby Mustang owners and other enthusiasts have been waiting for.

Shelby Mustang details the entire story of these fantastic cars, from the early prototypes built in Shelby's Los Angeles shop to today's Ford-engineered high-tech performers. Written by one of the world's foremost authorities on Shelby automobiles, critically acclaimed author Colin Comer, and with a foreword by Lee Iacocca, the American automobile executive credited with the successful development of the Mustang, this is the definitive account of the Shelby. When Ford wanted to toughen up its super-successful new Mustang, they approached Carroll Shelby to give it the performance image it so sorely lacked. Beginning with a 1965 "K-Code" 289-cubic-inch-powered Mustang fastback, Shelby applied the same formula that had made his Cobra sports cars such devastating performers both on and off the track: more horsepower, less weight, balanced handling. The GT350 quickly established itself as a bonafide force in SCCA B-Production racing, twisting back roads, and boulevards alike—setting the course for future Shelby Mustangs, like the big-block GT500. Though those original Shelby Mustangs were done by 1970, Ford dusted off its Shelby relationship in 2006 and has been producing high-performance Ford Mustang Shelbys ever since. This is a must-have read for any fan of American performance cars, whether you're a muscle-era original or a 21st-century stormer.

There were Mustangs, and then there were Mustangs. Ford wanted its new little Pony Car to appeal to the masses, and in executing that plan, the Mustang could be had in anything from a plain-Jane version with an economical 6-cylinder engine (often referred to as a "secretary’s car"), all the way up to the sporty GT models with optional 271-hp V-8s. Unfortunately, although road-going Mustangs were considered sporty, they were not officially sports cars, at least according to the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). And Lee Iacocca knew that on-track performance led to showroom performance, so he needed to go racing. Enter Carroll Shelby. Shelby worked with the SCCA to modify the Mustang to meet the SCCA's requirements and enter the racing arena. The result was the now-legendary Shelby Mustang. This volume of CarTech's In Detail series covers the 1968 Shelby GT350, GT500, and GT500KR. In 1968, Ford sought to take over much of the process of producing Shelby Mustangs and increased that production dramatically to meet anticipated sales demand, so it was a bit of a transition year. In an effort to appeal to muscle car fans rather than race fans, the cars were losing their edgy race car feel and were becoming more high-end performance road cars with a long list of performance and comfort options including 428 Cobra Jet Engines, automatic transmissions, and air conditioning. They may have no longer been sports cars, but they were now fantastic muscle cars. As in all In Detail Series books, you get an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, and an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, as well as an examination of where the car is on the market today. Also included is an appendix of paint and option codes, VIN and build tag decoders, as well as production numbers.

The Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 was named for its creator, Carroll Shelby. This American racecar driver of the 1950s designed this Ford model to maximize speed and power on the track. This hi-lo book highlights the race friendly features of the fan-favorite pony car.