At the New York Auto Show, 50 years after the company initial made its debut, Shelby officially took the wraps off their most powerful creation yet – the Shelby 1000. Born out of Carroll Shelby’s imagination in 2011 after experiencing the 800 horsepower Shelby GT500 Super Snake, the 1000 takes the Mustang’s performance boundaries a step further with a multitude of engine, drivetrain and chassis enhancements to make it the most powerful and fastest Shelby ever created.
“Carroll modeled the Shelby 1000 on the same philosophy as he did in the ‘60s, using a balance of horsepower and handling,” added John Luft, president of Shelby American. “Carroll was actively involved in every aspect of the Shelby 1000’s development, from the design to the testing and ultimately his final approval. Once again, Shelby American is making history and rewriting the rules for performance.”
The Shelby1000 will be offered in both street and Shelby 1000 S/C “off-road” track versions. The street legal, pump gas version dyno’s out at approximately 950 HP, while the track oriented “S/C” version is rated at over 1,100 HP.
“We didn’t simply turn up the boost to get this level of horsepower,” explained Gil Navarrez, Shelby American’s Speed Shop director. “We took the serious hot rod approach by taking Ford’s 5.4 liter engine down to the block, and beefed up the internals by machining it for new rods, crank and pistons. We also flowed the heads, revamped the cooling and improved the exhaust. With a choice of a Kenne- Bell 3.6 liter or the new Whipple 4.0 liter supercharger and tune, it will crank out serious power all day long.”
Shelby’s enhancements didn’t stop at the engine. The Shelby American team worked closely with engineering partners like Ford Racing, Borla, Tremec and Kenne Bell to create the ultimate, handcrafted muscle car.
“This car is the total package,” noted Gary Patterson, vice president of operations. “It was conceived as the ultimate Shelby and honed during substantial testing. It’s the most powerful Shelby based on a Ford Mustang that has ever been built at Shelby American.”
The rear end was replaced with a high performance 9-inch unit; the brakes include 6 pistons in front and 4 pistons out back. The driveshaft is a stronger unit while the suspension includes new struts, sway bars and bushings. The hood, rear panel and splitter are functional pieces for performance.
“We did focus groups with Shelby customers, and even showed them our initial styling designs,” explained Vice President of Production Gary Davis. “They overwhelmingly asked for this stealth exterior approach. Something cast in the mold of the most serious muscle cars of the ‘60s. Everything was engineered and designed with a ‘form follows function’ philosophy.”
The result is a Shelby with subtle, yet substantial changes. From the interior touches to the hood, wheels and aerodynamic styling, the car is stripped to its bare essence. In keeping with its 50th anniversary theme, a limited production of 100 Shelby 1000s will be built. Each will be numbered and documented for the Shelby registry.
The post-title package for the Shelby1000 starts at $149,995 and the track S/C version starts at $154,995, not including the base GT500. A completed Shelby 1000 is expected to be approximately $200,000.
Shelby American is now accepting orders for the limited edition Shelby 1000. Those interested in reserving a car should contact the Shelby American Sales team at (702) 942-7325 or visit www.shelbyamerican.com.
