Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Mustang Shelby GT500 at a glance

The GT500 sits at the top of the Ford Mustang family. Our older page on the 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500 looks at the first car in detail. The history of the Shelby brand explains the man behind the badge.

Shelby GT500 generations

Production figures for the SVT and S550 periods come from MuscleCarClub; Ford has not published a single official total.

The big-block Shelby of 1967–1970

Carroll Shelby's company had built the GT350 since 1965, and for 1967 it added a bigger, heavier and faster car. The GT500 used the 428 cu in FE Police Interceptor V8 with two 600 cfm Holley carburettors. It was rated at 265 kW (355 hp) at 5,400 rpm and 569 Nm (420 lb-ft) at 3,200 rpm. The cars were finished in Los Angeles; Wikipedia counts 2,048 of them. The new car cost US$4,195 in 1967, according to TFLcar. Car and Driver measured 0–60 mph in 6.5 seconds and a quarter mile of 15.0 seconds at 95 mph.

In August 1967 Shelby production moved from Los Angeles to Ionia, Michigan. Early 1968 GT500s had a 428 with a single four-barrel and 268 kW (360 hp). From April 1968 Ford fitted the 428 Cobra Jet, officially 250 kW (335 hp) and 597 Nm (440 lb-ft), a rating widely considered conservative. Cars with this engine were badged GT500KR; Wikipedia gives 1,571 KR cars, MuscleCarClub 1,251.

For 1969 the body was lengthened and redesigned, and Ford now handled the design of the Shelby itself; the Cobra name was dropped. Carroll Shelby ended his involvement in the summer of 1969. No 1970 cars were built: 789 unsold 1969 GT350s and GT500s received 1970 serial numbers under FBI supervision, plus a chin spoiler and hood stripes.

SVT cars with the supercharged V8 (2007–2014)

After 37 years the name returned on the fifth-generation Mustang. Ford's Special Vehicle Team developed the 2007 Shelby GT500 as the successor of the Mustang SVT Cobra, and deliveries began in May 2006. Its supercharged and intercooled 5.4-litre DOHC V8 made 373 kW (500 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 651 Nm (480 lb-ft), driven through a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual. The coupe weighed 1,792 kg, the convertible 1,833 kg. Car and Driver's Lightning Lap at Virginia International Raceway took 3:05.9.

• 2008–2009 GT500KR: 403 kW (540 hp) and 691 Nm, finished by Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas; 1,011 cars for 2008 and 712 for 2009, prototypes included.
• 2010: redesigned with the facelifted Mustang, 403 kW (540 hp), a 3.55:1 axle and a 1,747 kg coupe weight. The car still paid the US gas-guzzler tax.
• 2011–2012: an aluminium block saved 46 kg over the front axle, power rose to 410 kW (550 hp) and the gas-guzzler tax disappeared. An SVT Performance Package added stiffer suspension and wider tyres.
• 2013–2014: the 5.8-litre "Trinity" V8 produced 494 kW (662 hp) at 6,500 rpm and 856 Nm (631 lb-ft). Ford claimed 325 km/h (202 mph) for the coupe, while the convertible was limited to 249 km/h. Motor Trend measured 0–60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

Shelby American in Las Vegas also sold post-title conversions such as the Super Snake. It raised power to 451 kW (605 hp) in 2007–2009 and to 559 kW (750 hp) for a 2012 limited edition.

The Predator V8 and dual-clutch gearbox (2020–2022)

The third GT500 was shown at the Detroit show in January 2019 for the 2020 model year. Its 5,163 cc Predator V8 has a cross-plane crankshaft and a 2.65-litre Eaton Roots-type supercharger. It produces 567 kW (760 hp) at 7,300 rpm and 847 Nm (625 lb-ft) at 5,000 rpm, and Hagerty called it Ford's most powerful engine ever at launch. A Tremec TR-9070 seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with shift times down to 80 milliseconds drives the rear wheels; no manual was offered.

Ford's own figures were 3.3 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and 290 km/h (180 mph) flat out. The car was the first GT500 with independent rear suspension. Ford said the six-piston Brembo calipers on its 420 mm front discs were the largest front calipers on any coupe on sale. The Carbon Fiber Track Package added carbon-fibre wheels, aerodynamic parts and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres and removed the rear seat; it cost US$18,500 in 2020. Ford ended GT500 production in 2022. Shelby American marked its 60th anniversary with a GT500KR limited to 180 cars, revealed in December 2021.

Fifty years apart: 1967 against 2020

In 2019 TFLcar raced a 1967 GT500 against a new 2020 car on a drag strip. The new car ran the quarter mile in 11.491 seconds at 130.49 mph, the old one in 15.24 seconds at 91.55 mph. The modern GT500 has more than twice the power of the original, but it is also heavier. MuscleCarClub lists 1,529 kg for the 1967 car and 1,892 kg for the 2020 model, so each kilowatt moves 5.8 kg in the old car and only 3.3 kg in the new one.

Figures from MuscleCarClub's period test table; the magazines behind each test are not named there, and the 0–60 mph times are not converted.

Prices and values

• 1967 GT500: US$4,195 when new in 1967.
• 2020 GT500: from US$73,995 in 2020, about €64,800; with the Carbon Fiber Track Package and other options close to US$100,000 in 2020.

Between those two prices lie the 2007–2014 SVT cars: in 2010 the GT500 was still subject to the US gas-guzzler tax, which the lighter 2011 engine removed.

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