Shelby Mustang - the legend of American roads

Mustang Shelby GT 500 is a car with a long and interesting history. He is not just a vehicle, he is a legend of the American automobile industry. Few of the machines can boast such a pedigree and such characteristics as this model of the "Mustang". What is so unusual about it, you will learn from this article.

Creature

"Ford Mustang" became the company's trump card in the eternal confrontation between Ford and Chevrolet. The predecessor of the Mustang, the Falcon model, began to take positions in the fight against Corvair Monza, and it was decided to launch a new car that outperformed competitors in all respects. So, in 1964, the light saw the first "wild stallion" in the back of a cabriolet. Unusual for those times, the silhouette with a long hood and a short tail retained its features in modern models of the Mustang.

Hit of sales - "King of the roads"

Soon Shelby Mustang became a hit of sales. This was facilitated not only by sports design and high dynamic characteristics, but also by a rather low price. Using some elements from the Falcon model allowed to reduce the cost of production of the Mustang, which made it even more popular. In 1967, Ford together with Carroll Shelby developed a sports modification of the Shelby GT 500 with a Galaxy engine. This increased the already considerable demand for the Mustang, because the car was even more powerful and faster. The top version of 1968 bore the proud name of Shelby Mustang GT 500 KR (King of Road, "King of the Roads").

Mustang Shelby Features

Under the long hood with two lanes, settled 7-liter Cobra Jet with a claimed capacity of 355 horsepower. It is worth noting that the real number of "horses" was more than the producers said. GT 500, in addition to a more powerful engine, also had developed air intakes for blowing back brakes, a spoiler on the trunk lid, a longer body, an original exhaust system and large fog lamps on the radiator grille. Even the emblem in the form of a horse was replaced by a cobra - a distinctive sign of the Shelby cars.

The overall dimensions are 4.66 x 1.81 x 1.44 meters, the car is rear-wheel drive, has a 4-speed manual gearbox. It can reach speeds of up to 203 km / h, while it takes 4.3 seconds to accelerate to 100 km / h. The volume of the fuel tank is 61 liters. But the fuel consumption is very high: in the city up to 28 liters per 100 kilometers, along the highway to 21. The type of body Shelby Mustang is a coupe-fastback, and landing of rear passengers in it is not entirely convenient. However, this car refers to sports, and not to family cars, so unnecessary seats, like passengers, it just does not need.

Star Screen

"Mustang Shelby" GT 500 of 1967 became the star of the film "Gone in 60 Seconds", filmed in 2000. This car is known all over the world as Ford Mustang Shelby Eleanor, and its copies are sold in thousands of copies. In 2008, specifically for the series Knight Rider was built GT 500 KR KITT Thus, the "Mustang" again became the star of the screen. His copies, released in a limited edition, were bought like hot cakes.

But not only in this tape the "King of the roads" was lighted. In the film "I'm a legend" the main character goes to the Mustang Shelby GT. Also, the car was captured in the films "Pipets", "Transformers", in one of the parts "Forsage", "Deal with the devil." This is not a complete list of films in which the "Ford Mustang" is the "iron horse" of the protagonist.

The King of the Road returns

In 1970, production of Shelby models was discontinued. This pause dragged on for a long 36 years - the Ford Shelby Mustang GT-H appeared in front of the public in 2006. Despite a significant "facelift," the "Mustang" retained the corporate style of the model - all the same muscular body with a long hood and a short trunk. The engine became even more powerful: the modification of the GT 500 in 2006 had a 507-horsepower engine with a volume of 5.4 liters. The release and improvement of the "Mustangs" continues to this day and is not going to stop.

What changed after the return

A package of Super Snake completions from Shelby can add a few dozen horsepower to the usual GT 500. The most modern version of the Ford Mustang GT 500 Super Snake develops a speed of more than 320 km / h with a power of 850 forces. Equipped vehicles 6-speed manual transmission Tremec. The Shelby GT 500 has always been a more technological version of Mustangs, and at the moment the cars are equipped with the most modern "lotions": traction control systems, stability control, upgraded brakes and suspension are aimed at maximum controllability.

The GT 500 keep pace with the times in order to give its owners maximum enjoyment of the ride. Together with the company "Shelby", the Ford SVT subdivision is working on the development of the Mustangs. Shelby Mustang with the SVT Performance package costs $ 5,500 more and has a glass roof. This model of "Mustang" has become an icon of style and the founder of a whole class of cars - pony car.

Interesting facts about Mustang Shelby GT 500

• The car was created in contrast to the competitor - Chevrolet Camaro SS.
• Included in the list of 10 machines that changed the world.
• For car collectors, the Mustang Shelby GT 500 is considered very prestigious.
• The prefix "shalli" appeared in honor of the rider, who won the race in Le Mans in 1959;
• Shelby Mustang, which was shot in the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds," still exists in real life - it owns the film director's widow.
• Initially, the car model was named after the American North American P-51 Mustang fighter of the Second World War, and then the name "wild" was used to mean a wild horse.

The cost of the car is quite high - from 70 000 to 150 000 dollars. Everything depends on the condition of the machine and the demand for it. Since the Ford Mustang has been built and assembled in a very high quality compared to modern cars, even in a very "worn" condition, it is worthy of admiration. Particularly in demand models in the body kit "Eleanor", which allows the tuning studio to receive in this business astronomical profits. Becoming a cult "King", the car does not fall in price - it's a legend that will have a long existence.