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Sexy
Beast She Is! The car that made Nicholas Cage famous, from Gone
in 60 Seconds II. (The Tomaso Collection)
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The vehicle pictured above may/may not still be on
display. As these pictures were taken during last Summer; August, 2016...
SPECIFICS
Year: 1967
Make: Shelby Mustang
Model: GT-500
Engine: 428-Cid Big-block V-8* (7,051cc; 7.0-liter)
Transmission: 4-Speed Manual (3-speed Automatic optional)
Layout: Front engine/Rear Wheel Drive
Horsepower: 355bhp @5,400 RPM
Top Speed: N/A
The whole Carroll Shelby lore is a complete
story in itself, not to mention his automobile production business, beginning
with the Cobra and bleeding over to the Ford Mustang, for which 'Ol Shel' was
asked to sprinkle his Snake Oil magic upon.
History buffs know that the first Ford
Mustang that got the Shelby treatment was the 1965 Fastback, built as the
Spartan, bone-jarring GT-350, with no rear seat, occupied instead by a
full-size spare tyre! And available only in white, with blue stripes.
As its ultra low production of 562-units was
specifically created in order to go road racing, and presumably meet homologation
requirements. With an 'Uber rare 34 GT-350R's built for SCCA competition, which
they won the B-production title three years in-a-row.
For 1966, the public could not only buy its
own GT-350 en masse, but also could rent one at Hertz Rentacar - in what
ultimately became known as "Hertz Rent-a-Racers!" As the majority of
these featured the optional 3-speed automatic transmission new for that year's
models, as the push for "Creature Comforts" would slowly but surely
make the Shelby's and their Seester' base Mustangs larger and heavier thru the
next several years.
For 1967 not only did the GT-350's production
increase, but it's Big-block sibling, the GT-500 was introduce, for which had a
428-Cid V-8 engine shoehorned into its engine bay.
And although Shelby was effectively out of
the game in '68, arguably this was the Shelby Mustang's zenith, as now the model range not only
included the GT-350 & GT-500, but the first mass market convertible model
arrived along with the ultimate GT-500, the GT-500KR, for King of the Road,.
As who'd Ah-Thunk
I-T! That the Ford Mustang, the original "Pony Car" would still be
goin' stong a half century later!
While fifty years ago, a lone GT-500 Shelby
Mustang had its "Pedestrian" 428-Cid V-8 replaced with one of 'Ol
shel's Fire Breathin' Ford GT-40 427-Cid V-8 racing lumps' to create what was
called the "Super Snake," for which Carroll Shelby personally pushed
up to 170mph during a Goodyear tyre publicity run!
NOTES
Yep, Y'all have heard I-T here before, and Shirley;
DON'T call me Shirley; Hya! Will hear I-T several more times in the future, as
where does the time G-O, eh? As I cannot
believe it was nearly seventeen years ago that I saw the bigger 'N better
second incarnation of Gone In 60 Seconds on the silver screen, as tend to
recall that it starts off with a brick being thrown thru a Porsche 911's side
window!
Although I'll confess, that when I began this
story, I thought it was that irrepressible Alec Baldwin who played the starring
role? For which I've since learned was Nicholas Cage instead. Whilst both are
reportedly B-I-G' Motorheadz', dabbling in collecting fast, BAD ARSE Rides.
Also was either unawares' or had
forgotten" that Chip Foose, who's Overhaulin' Show I watched frequently
was the man behind making the movie studio's artistic renderings into mock-up
and the actual molds used to create the multiple Eleanor's created for the 2000
Film.
As reputedly, either eleven or twelve chassis
were made for the film, with an extra, real running & driving Shelby GT-500
Eleanor built for the movie's producer, Jerry Bruckheimer.
As 'bout the only major issue I had with the
movie was Nicholas Cage flipping the top of the shifter handle to reveal a
Super Boost Nitro' button, enabling him to make his get away! As that's what I
recall...
Whilst naturally
the movies success has inspired a whole Eleanor "Cottage Industry,"
not to mention how many different Eleanor Clones are now lurking the streets?
As it seemed for
awhile, when I could actually watch the Barrett-Jackson auction on SPEED. That
quite a few Eleanor recreations from
1967-68 "Plain Jane" Mustang Fastbacks went across the stage...
(Photo Courtesy of Clarity Pictures)