Barrett-Jackson To Sell Rare Collection Of Shelby Development Vehicles During Palm Beach Auction
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – March 30, 2010 – Barrett-Jackson will auction a few of the amazing development vehicles from the official Shelby American corporate museum during the 8th Annual Auction in Palm Beach on Saturday, April 3. The eight cars are an exciting mix of concept vehicles, test mules and development units. They include an ’06 Shelby GT-H coupe prototype (Lot #678.2), Shelby SR prototype (Lot #370.2), Ken Miles edition MKII GT40 Chassis #GT40P/2001 (Lot # 370.1), Shelby Turbo prototype (Lot # 374.2), 2007 Shelby GT Show Car (Lot# 374.1), ’88 Shelby CSX-T (Lot# 55) and ’99 Shelby Series 1 (Lot# 663.2).
“When Shelby American renovated the museum in Las Vegas, they decided to trim their collection of cars,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “Like the Ford and GM development vehicles sold at No Reserve through Barrett-Jackson over the past several years, they are a snapshot of an original masterpiece or idea.”
Concept cars, test mules and development units are an important part of creating a production automobile for any company. They are used to develop power trains, engineer suspensions, tune bodywork and try out new ideas. Some are close to final production trim while others are exercises that never come to maturation.
Typically, most of these types of cars end up crushed, dismantled or in corporate collections. Few ever make it into the hands of the general public. However, Shelby American chose to release a small number of its development vehicles to collectors through Barrett-Jackson. The cars were used by Shelby engineering and design teams at the Las Vegas factory, design studio and Las Vegas Motor Speedway to create their line of performance vehicles.
“Our team chose to offer a handful of vehicles at Barrett-Jackson because it’s the most democratic way to give the average enthusiast an opportunity to own a rare glimpse into the Shelby way of building cars,” noted Amy Boylan, president of Shelby American. “It extends the benefits of being part of the Shelby family to more people.”
Each vehicle marks a milestone in the history of Carroll Shelby’s companies. Some are unique views into a moment in a car line’s development while others represent a path not taken. Each is highly collectible and historical. Most were displayed at the Shelby factory in Las Vegas alongside Carroll’s personal collection.
The 2006 Ford Shelby GT-H coupe is the prototype for the 517 units that were built. They were fitted with a custom Shelby appearance package, Ford Racing Power Pack to add horsepower and torque to the 4.6 liter V8, suspension stiffing components, new exhaust system, special wheels, a 3.55:1 ratio rear axle assembly and interior touches.
A pair of cars introduced last year to great fanfare will also be sold. In 2009, Shelby Automobiles unveiled the Shelby SR and the Shelby Turbo post-title packages for 4.6L V8 powered 2005-2009 Mustang GT. Both are 550 horsepower prototypes and only one of their types built.
The SR was used for a press event and appeared in numerous media stories worldwide. The car was extensively developed on the drag strip, oval and road course of Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the hands of Shelby test drivers. It was also the prototype for a new Shelby supercharger and short throw shifter.
The “Shelby Turbo” car appeared in numerous publications and on the floor of the SEMA show. It was tested at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Shelby test drivers and media put it through its paces on the road course.
Shelby will also sell a Ken Miles edition MKII GT40. This GT40 continuation is built to exacting standards with over two thirds of the rolling chassis’s parts interchangeable with an original car. The left-hand drive car has never been driven and is set up to accept a period correct Ford 427 F.E. engine and a ZF or RBT transaxle; the drivetrain is not included with the car. The car is sold with an MSO as it has never been titled.
“Shelby’s experimental cars, like the famous ‘Green Hornet’ from the 1960s are now highly coveted collectibles for the same reasons that these vehicles are so prized,” stated Davis. “From the Series 1 to the GT40 and Hertz Shelbys, they are a piece of memorabilia, art and history that will never come again.”
The 2007 Shelby GT Show Car has a custom paint scheme created for display at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway “Neon Garage” during the first Shelby 427 NASCAR race in 2009. The paint scheme reflects a Las Vegas theme with familiar icons such as the Navy Thunderbirds team, a white tiger and showgirls. It is a one-off show car built to demonstrate the versatility of the car for customization and styling.
When Carroll Shelby’s good friend, Lee Iacocca, asked him to inject some performance excitement into Chrysler Corporation during the 1980s, he responded with a series of “pocket rocket” front wheel drive cars. That included a line of cars called the CSX-T using the “Shadow” body style for Thrifty Car Rental. The CSX-T was only sold to Thrifty, and 1,001 were produced. One of those cars, CSX-T 475 will be sold after a stint in the Shelby Museum.
The Shelby Series 1 was a high-performance roadster manufactured by Shelby American from 1996-2002. The car to be auctioned has a carbon fiber body, sophisticated chassis and a 4.0 liter V8 engine. Weighing 2,650 pounds, sports car went 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds and recorded 12.8 in the quarter mile; top speed was 185 mph.
This was the first running car and the “pre-production” #1 Series 1 that was featured on the cover of Motor Trend, as well as various other magazine articles through 1998-99. “PP1” was used for dealer and public drives given by NASCAR legend Davey Hamilton and Shelby test driver Gary Patterson. The car is sold with an MSO as it has never been titled. The Series 1 will be listed in the Shelby World Registry.
About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company
The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company was established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces the “World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions™” in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla., Las Vegas, and Orange County, Cali. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance offering for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694.
About Shelby American, Inc. and Carroll Shelby Licensing
Founded by legend Carroll Shelby, Shelby American Inc., (www.shelbyamerican.com) manufactures and markets performance vehicles and related products. Shelby American is a division of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (CSBI.PK). Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc., also a wholly owned division, is the exclusive holder of Carroll Shelby’s trademarks and vehicle design rights. It also holds trademark rights for Shelby-branded apparel, accessories and collectibles. Info is at www.carrollshelbyinternational.com.
Media Contact
Media Contact: Scott Black of TimePiece PR & Marketing at sblack@tprm-usa.com or (214) 520-3430 ext. 303