The story is epic. Carroll Shelby’s raw, race-ready G.T. 350 broke cover in 1965, setting the stage for a stampede of Shelby American-modded Mustangs to come. The first Shelby-fied ponies crowded winner’s circles and attracted buyers to Ford showrooms but, over the course of the Shelby G.T.’s five-model-year run, the cars transformed from racers into stylish muscle cars. One thing was clear, however, as the curtain drew to a close and the house lights came up in 1970 — the audience was calling out for more Shelby G.T.s.
A cult-like following developed in the ensuing decades — curated and cultivated in no small part by diehards in the Shelby American Automobile Club — and today, all of the Shelby Mustangs through 1970 are hot commodities among collectors. Yes, the purest of the breed are the original G.T. 350s, but the later cars make up for their lack of racing chops with unmatched style and a Shelby pedigree. The best road-going Shelby Mustangs, and the ones most deserving of the grand tourer moniker? It has to be the G.T. 500s with their big-cubic-inch power and more luxurious appointments.
The G.T. 500 story began with the ’67 Ford Mustangs, which were larger, heavier, yet more polished than their predecessors. Plus, there was also more space between the front shock towers for Ford’s FE-series V-8 engines. To give the G.T. 500 more
