Shelby first put his name on a Mustang back in 1964 when he was asked to inject some high performance into the brand-new pony car. The result was the GT-350R, a lightweight, handling-focused race car that earned Mustang its first performance credentials. Subsequent Shelby Mustangs included a street version of the race car, the GT-350, and what was known as the "rent-a-racer" Mustang, the GT-350H, a joint project with the Hertz rental car corporation.

The ultimate Shelby Mustang of the era was the GT-500KR, or "King of the Road." Powered by a big block 428-cubic-inch "Cobra Jet" V-8, the GT-500 was one of the most powerful, and memorable, muscle cars of that period. Shelby Mustang production ceased in 1970 with a total volume of 14,559 units.

The Ford Special Vehicle Team brought high performance back to Mustang in 1993. After 12 years, with nearly 80,000 high-performance Mustangs on the streets and total SVT vehicle production nearing 145,000, SVT is primed for growth with the GT500 serving as the foundation for other performance Mustang projects.

By bringing together Shelby and Ford SVT, the company's commitment to performance becomes as powerful as at any time in its history - including the famed "Total Performance" days of the 1960s. From the Ford GT supercar, the GT500, to a rejuvenated Ford Racing Performance Parts program, performance and racing can drive innovation and add luster to Ford's proud brand heritage.

"SVT will remain the leader in performance vehicle engineering," says Thai-Tang. "It will continue to build new, innovative products using advanced processes that will not only provide great enjoyment to the dedicated driving enthusiast, but that also will provide great benefit to other Ford products and Ford Motor Company itself."

The Ford Shelby GT500 will be built at the Ford-Mazda joint venture, AutoAlliance International, in Flat Rock, Mich.

previous page