This is a rotisserie-restored 1967 Shelby GT500 that was factory-fitted with the 428 cubic inch Police Interceptor V8 engine, with dual four-barrel carburetors, and the desirable 4-speed manual transmission.
The Shelby Mustang had debuted in 1965 with the 289 cubic inch V8-powered Shelby GT350, a car developed by Carroll Shelby and his team specifically to go racing and win. The GT500 arrived two years later in 1967 fitted with the much larger 428 cubic inch Police Interceptor V8, it was a case designed to dominate the 1/4 mile.
Fast Facts – The Shelby GT500 “Police Interceptor” V8
- The 1967 Ford Mustang represented a significant redesign from the earlier models, most notably with a slightly larger body and an engine bay capable of accommodating Ford’s big block V8 engines. The Shelby GT500 was equipped with the formidable 428 cubic inch (7.0 liter) Police Interceptor V8, featuring dual 600 CFM Holley four-barrel carburetors.
- To handle the increased power and torque, the 1967 Shelby GT500 included several upgrades: uprated front coil springs, thicker anti-roll bars, upgraded front disc brakes, and Gabriel shock absorbers. A roll bar was installed inside the car for safety, and likely saved more than a few driver’s lives.
- The Shelby GT500 also became a cultural icon, later inspiring the creation of the car “Eleanor” in the 2000 film “Gone in 60 Seconds.” The model was produced in various sub-variants until 1970, with the GT500 badge being revived in 2007 due to its enduring popularity.
- The 1967 Shelby GT500 shown in this article is an excellent example, having undergone a professional rotisserie restoration to as-new condition. Documented in the Shelby Registry to verify its authenticity, this GT500 is finished in factory-correct Nightmist Blue with a Black knitted décor interior and features a 4-speed manual transmission.
The Origins Of The Shelby Mustang
When the Mustang had first arrived, executives at Ford were acutely aware that it was a sporting car with no sports car pedigree, and plans were put into place to establish some bonafides as soon as possible.
Apart from some discreet badging the interior of the Shelby GT500 was much the same as the standard 1967 Mustang. Once you started the engine however, it became clear that the car was special.
Carroll Shelby was consulted, and a deal was penned for him and his team to create a new version of the Mustang specifically targeted at SCCA B-Production class racing in the United States. Shelby already had a good relationship with Ford at this time, as he was using Ford V8s (the same engine used in the Mustang) to power his Shelby Cobra sports car that had been regularly giving the Chevrolet Corvettes black-eyes since 1962.
The car that resulted from this project was the Shelby GT350. It was a completely stripped back Muting with upgraded brakes, upgraded suspension, a significantly reworked engine, and it had been put on a weight loss regimen so strict that even the back seat had been thrown out.
The Shelby GT350 would prove to be a resounding success, it won the B-Production championship for three straight years and established the Mustang’s bonafides as a true race-winning performance car. A newly redesigned Mustang would make its first appearance in 1967, and Ford sent it over to Shelby to see if he could give it the special treatment, this time with a big block V8.
The Arrival Of The Shelby GT500
When the 1967 Ford Mustang debuted it would be the largest redesign of the Mustang platform that had taken place since the model’s wildly successful debut back in 1964. The 1967 model was slightly larger, with updated styling, and perhaps most importantly, it now had an engine bay large enough to accommodate Ford’s big block V8.
Shelby would create two distinct lines of Shelby Mustangs from this point forward, the small block Shelby GT350, and the big block Shelby GT500.
The Shelby GT500 would receive the Ford Cobra FE Series 428 cubic inch in (7.0 liter) Police Interceptor V8 with two 600 CFM Holley four-barrel carburetors on an aluminum intake manifold. No one could have known it at the time, but this would be the car that would go on to inspire the creation of the car “Eleanor” from the 2000 film Gone in 60 Seconds.
Under the hood you’ll find the “Police Interceptor” V8, a 7.0 liter big block capable of 355 bhp and 420 lb ft of torque.
This big block V8 was considerably more powerful than the K-Code 289 V8 fitted to the GT350, offering 355 bhp vs the 271 bhp of the smaller engine. Torque was much higher also, with the big block twisting out 420 lb ft vs the 329 lb ft of the 289.
This power was sent back through either a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic transmission to the live axle rear end and inside the car a roll bar was fitted for safety – perhaps an indication that there was concern about putting this much power in the hands of untrained drivers.
A number of other changes were made to the vehicle to help improve performance and better cope with the heavier new engine. The front coil springs were uprated as was the anti-roll bar, front disc brakes came as standard along with Gabriel shock absorbers.
The Shelby GT500 series would remain on sale from 1967 until 1970 however this wasn’t the end for the badge – it would return due to popular demand in 2007 and remain in production over a number of sub-variants to the current day.
The 1967 Shelby GT500 Shown Here
The car you see here is a beautifully presented example of the 1967 Shelby GT500, thanks in large part to the fact that it’s been given a professional rotisserie restoration back to as-new condition, and it comes with a deluxe Marti Report.
This vehicle is documented in the Shelby Registry, helping to ensure its originality and authenticity – there have been a significant number of “tribute” Shelby Mustangs made over the years, and occasionally someone tries to pass one of them off as original due to the potential financial windfall.
The distinctive front end of the GT500 would later inspire the creation of Eleanor, a car that would be a central character of the 2000 film “Gone in 60 Seconds.”
This GT500 is finished in factory-correct Nightmist Blue paint with a Black knitted décor interior. It has power brakes and power steering, a fold down rear seat, and perhaps most importantly, it has a factory 4-speed manual transmission.
The car is now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum on the 17th of May and at the time of writing there is no price guide. If you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid you can visit there listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
