Registration No: OHN 982E
Chassis No: 67400F2A01926
MOT: Exempt

• A genuine, 'matching numbers' GT500 known to the SAAC Shelby Registry
• Treated to an exhaustive, photographically documented restoration and refinished in its original colours of Nightmist Blue with Black Knitted Décor upholstery
• 428 PI engine, four-speed manual, power steering and front disc brakes

Ford’s 1967 model-year revamp of the Mustang allowed the pony car to host a ‘big block’ 390 cu in V8 for the first time. Never one to miss an opportunity, Carroll Shelby was quick to engineer and launch his GT500 version complete with enhanced brakes and suspension, bespoke lightweight fibreglass panels (bonnet, boot, front end, side scoops etc), integral rollover bar and 428 cu in ‘Police Interceptor’ V8 engine allied to either four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission. Conservatively rated at 355hp and 420lbft of torque, the 7-litre powerplant endowed the Fastback with tyre smoking performance; 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds and 132mph. Just 2,048 Shelby GT500 Fastbacks were made during the 1967 model-year with a good proportion falling foul of exuberant drivers including Jim Morrison of The Doors who crashed the Nightmist Blue example that Elektra Records gifted him on Sunset Boulevard!

According to its accompanying Deluxe Marti Auto Works report and SAAC Shelby Registry documentation, chassis 01926 was supplied new by the Bedford Motors Corp of Virginia to James W. Gregg Jnr on September 26^th 1967 (though, its initial build prior to Shelby conversion had been completed on April 5^th 1967). Finished in Nighmist Blue Metallic with a Black Knitted Décor interior, the Fastback’s specification also encompassed a 428 cu in ‘Police Interceptor’ V8 engine, four-speed manual transmission, extra cooling package, power steering and power front disc brakes. Relocating to Key West whilst Gregg attended US Naval College, the Shelby then passed through the hands of Bob Bordeaux, Ken & Shirley Young, Tony Mazzelini, Kevin Jones, Garry Kazia, Blake Mitchell, Jack Bell, Dallas Mustang and Jack Bell again before being imported to the UK by Mustang collector Steve Blackett during July 1997. Still wearing the 1970s coat of paint which had seen Kevin Jones take the spray shop responsible to court (the judge ruling in his favour when he saw the finish at first hand), the Shelby apparently required little more than a brake overhaul to pass its first UK MOT test. Displaying a credible but unwarranted 74,000 or so miles to its odometer, the GT500 was subject to a feature article in the September 1998 issue of ‘Classic American’ magazine which is where it first came to the attention of Alan Faulkener-Stevens. A former Aston Martin design and development engineer whose formal training was within the aircraft industry, he has long been the proprietor of Dragon Wheels Muscle Car Restorations.

Having negotiated the purchase of chassis 01926 on behalf of a client in March 2005, Faulkner-Stevens set about refurbishing the Fastback to concours condition. Documented via two photo albums and numerous invoices, the work took over three years to complete and cost in excess of £100,000 (despite modest labour rates of £25-30 per hour). The original Shelby fibreglass panels were carefully removed and the original bodyshell stripped back to bare metal. The minimal sheet metal repairs necessary were carried out by ex-Aston Martin craftsmen and the structure laid out on an engineering bed to ensure its trueness. The factory-fitted 428 cu in ‘Police Interceptor’ V8 engine was ‘stroked’ and overhauled by Knight Racing Services (the associated dyno sheets showing 437bhp/525lbft) and the four-speed ‘Top Loader’ manual gearbox rejuvenated complete with a McLeod flywheel and clutch assembly. The heavy-duty rear axle was refreshed and uprated with a Ford Traction-Loc LSD and forged driveshafts. The new wiring loom was modified to facilitate UK specification indicators etc, while the instruments and seatbelts were professionally restored in the USA. The rare wood-rim steering wheel was refurbished, the headlining / carpets renewed and the upholstery re-trimmed. A genuine Carroll Shelby signature was sourced for the glovebox and even the seatbelt mounts on the integral rollover hoop received attention. Repainted in Nightmist Blue Metallic with authentic GT500 side decals and replated brightwork, ‘OHN 982E’ proved smart enough to grace the pages of the Mustang Owners of Great Britain magazine and be judged a finalist in the Muscle Car Class of the 2009 Salon Prive Concours d’Elegance held at the Hurlingham Club in London.

Still proudly displayed on the Dragon Wheels Muscle Car Restorations website, the Shelby has seen scant use since its renovation was completed. Indeed, the engine received a light overhaul at the hands of JonPaul Motor Services Ltd of Epping during November 2016 because it had ‘never been run-in’ (£6,207.35). Predominantly kept garaged since its last MOT certificate expired on June 30^th 2018, the GT500 is due to be fitted with a new battery ahead of sale. However, a degree of recommissioning is recommended prior to road use (especially given the performance potential). Something of an ‘automotive unicorn’ on UK roads, this iconic Muscle Car is worthy of close inspection. Offered for sale with V5C Registration Document, restoration photo albums and history file.

For more information, please contact:
Damian Jones
damian.jones@handh.co.uk
07855 493737