2011 Shelby GT350 celebrates the 45th anniversary of the original
Confusing? Yes, it probably is. When the bright red 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 appeared on the cover of the June 21 issue of AW, it was logical to assume that legendary car builder Carroll Shelby--who pretty much invented the high-performance Ford Mustang--was substantially involved. And, by association, so was his company, Shelby American.
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Source: 2011 Shelby GT350 celebrates the 45th anniversary of the original
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| ‘It might not be as sexy as adding more horsepower or bigger brakes, but shaving pounds off of a car is the single smartest move you can make.'” But that is the only quote from Shelby. All the rest come from Ford Special Vehicle Team people. That's because Shelby, now 87, and Shelby American didn't have much to do with the 2011 Shelby GT500, though to a person, they have nothing but good things to say about the car. “It's excellent,” says Gary Patterson, vice president of Shelby American. “But I think we may have topped it.” Here is where it might get a bit muddled. In January, at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona, Shelby American, Carroll's Las Vegas-based company--not Ford--unveiled the 2011 Shelby GT350. What's the difference? The Shelby GT500 was built by Ford, under a licensing agreement. The GT350 was built by Shelby American, starting with a 2011 Ford Mustang GT, which is much modified into a GT350. While Shelby no longer turns wrenches, the GT350 has his fingerprints on it. We drove the 2011 GT350 at the 32nd-annual Mid-America Ford and Team Shelby Nation-als in Tulsa, Okla., which migrated to the nearby Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, the 1.8-mile road course, for a couple of days. And Patterson might be correct. As good as the Shelby GT500 is--we spent a week in one immediately prior to the trip to Tulsa--the GT350 has a different look and feel and a much different price. The GT350 begins life as a white 2011 Mustang GT that the customer buys and typically drop-ships to Shelby. There, the Mustang gets a major makeover—upgraded interior, a completely different front and rear, partly styled as an homage to the original 1965 Mustang GT350. While comparisons to the ‘65 aren't always apparent, some exist. The taillights lose the backup lights, which move to small twin lights low on the fascia, just like the 1967 model's, Patterson said. This car is considered the 45th-anniversary edition of the GT350. |
Source: 2011 Shelby GT350 celebrates the 45th anniversary of the original
