Ford and Shelby in the 1960s
Except otherwise stated, all results below include the premium.
See also : Cars 1962-64 Cars 1965-67 Cars in movies
Chronology : 1967
See also : Cars 1962-64 Cars 1965-67 Cars in movies
Chronology : 1967
1962 Shelby CSX 2000
2016 SOLD for $ 13.7M by RM Sotheby's
Carroll Shelby wisely stops competition for health reasons in 1960. He can now focus on a visionary project : to create a car that will be capable of defeating the Europeans. He will succeed where the major American brands had failed.
The basic idea of Shelby was simple : assemble a powerful engine on a small chassis. The difficulty of reaching the suitable stability needed all the experience of a champion. Going small had also ensured the success of Porsche.
Shelby is not yet an entrepreneur. He looks worldwide for the chassis and the engine that will best meet his request.
In England, the small AC Cars company is facing a major issue : the engine used on their AC Ace chassis is no longer manufactured. Shelby's project comes at the right time to start a cooperation. Ford is working at the same time on the development of lightweight engines. Shelby borrows an AC chassis and has a V-8 engine 221 cubic inches assembled by Ford in Dearborn. The feasibility is assured.
Shelby must now work out the technical details. He requires the modifications to the AC chassis that will generate the AC Cobra, and chooses a Ford V-8 260 cubic inches engine (4.2 liters). The prototype is assembled in February 1962 in California by Shelby helped by Dean Moon.
This prototype named CSX 2000 from its chassis number enters the legend. It serves both the technical development and the marketing. Shelby does not have the financial means to assemble other cars : his unique prototype is painted in a different color for each presentation to the specialized press in order to suggest that a production line is already operational. The performance of the CSX 2000 pleases Ford. What will follow is a remarkable American success story.
Carroll Shelby had kept the CSX 2000. It is intact and retains traces of the tools from the settings by Shelby and Moon. A friend of Rob Myers, Shelby had required that the CSX 2000 is auctioned by RM after his death. It was sold for $ 13.7M by RM Sotheby's on August 19, 2016, lot 117. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
An image of CSX 2000 taken in 2010 is shared by Wikimedia with attribution : Jaydec at English Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
The basic idea of Shelby was simple : assemble a powerful engine on a small chassis. The difficulty of reaching the suitable stability needed all the experience of a champion. Going small had also ensured the success of Porsche.
Shelby is not yet an entrepreneur. He looks worldwide for the chassis and the engine that will best meet his request.
In England, the small AC Cars company is facing a major issue : the engine used on their AC Ace chassis is no longer manufactured. Shelby's project comes at the right time to start a cooperation. Ford is working at the same time on the development of lightweight engines. Shelby borrows an AC chassis and has a V-8 engine 221 cubic inches assembled by Ford in Dearborn. The feasibility is assured.
Shelby must now work out the technical details. He requires the modifications to the AC chassis that will generate the AC Cobra, and chooses a Ford V-8 260 cubic inches engine (4.2 liters). The prototype is assembled in February 1962 in California by Shelby helped by Dean Moon.
This prototype named CSX 2000 from its chassis number enters the legend. It serves both the technical development and the marketing. Shelby does not have the financial means to assemble other cars : his unique prototype is painted in a different color for each presentation to the specialized press in order to suggest that a production line is already operational. The performance of the CSX 2000 pleases Ford. What will follow is a remarkable American success story.
Carroll Shelby had kept the CSX 2000. It is intact and retains traces of the tools from the settings by Shelby and Moon. A friend of Rob Myers, Shelby had required that the CSX 2000 is auctioned by RM after his death. It was sold for $ 13.7M by RM Sotheby's on August 19, 2016, lot 117. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
An image of CSX 2000 taken in 2010 is shared by Wikimedia with attribution : Jaydec at English Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
1963 Shelby 289 Cobra
2021 SOLD for $ 4.1M by RM Sotheby's
to be narrated later
Link to catalogue : lot 245.
1964 Ford GT40 Prototype
2014 SOLD for $ 7.6M by Mecum
At the command of Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford II (HF2) is a busy man who does not like his competitors and will not be contradicted. 1964 is a key year for both road and race. The Ford Mustang is developed by Lee Iacocca. Its innovative design will push the Ford brand on a par with General Motors which previously dominated this market.
In 1963 Ferrari had been for sale. Ford Motor Company was interested but Enzo Ferrari himself frustrated the negotiations despite his financial difficulties. Henry Ford II (HF2) is furious. He wants to beat Ferrari in its most prestigious playground, at Le Mans. He defines the target : Ford must win the 24 hours race of Le Mans in 1964 with a model capable of reaching 320 km/h in the Mulsanne Straight.
Ford, which does not have an experience in developing a competition car, finds the necessary alliances including with Lola Cars, Shelby and Kar Kraft, and hires as project manager John Wyer who had ensured the achievements of Aston Martin. The development is entrusted to the new Ford Advanced Vehicles (FAV) division created at Slough near Heathrow Airport for this project identified with the reference GT40.
In April 1964, the testing at Le Mans is a disaster. The new model, whose aerodynamic characteristics were poorly designed, flow over at top speed. Their two cars crash.
The Ford team can not rest on this failure, although it is now accepted that it is not ready for the first wins. There are only two months left to change the bodywork. The engineers meet this challenge: three Ford GT40 participate at the 24 Heures in June 1964. The spectacular start of the race shows that this model will ably compete with Ferrari. HF2 did not win, but he has not lost either.
GT/104, the first lightweight steel prototype and the 4th prototype overall, was sold for $ 4.95M by Gooding on August 19, 2012 and for $ 7.6M by Mecum on April 12, 2014, lot S147.1.
It had been one of the three GT40 of the June 1964 race. After a new phase of improvements assisted by computer, which was a novelty at that time for racing cars, it was also the first GT40 to achieve a podium position when it finished at third place at the 2000 Km of Daytona in February 1965.
In 1963 Ferrari had been for sale. Ford Motor Company was interested but Enzo Ferrari himself frustrated the negotiations despite his financial difficulties. Henry Ford II (HF2) is furious. He wants to beat Ferrari in its most prestigious playground, at Le Mans. He defines the target : Ford must win the 24 hours race of Le Mans in 1964 with a model capable of reaching 320 km/h in the Mulsanne Straight.
Ford, which does not have an experience in developing a competition car, finds the necessary alliances including with Lola Cars, Shelby and Kar Kraft, and hires as project manager John Wyer who had ensured the achievements of Aston Martin. The development is entrusted to the new Ford Advanced Vehicles (FAV) division created at Slough near Heathrow Airport for this project identified with the reference GT40.
In April 1964, the testing at Le Mans is a disaster. The new model, whose aerodynamic characteristics were poorly designed, flow over at top speed. Their two cars crash.
The Ford team can not rest on this failure, although it is now accepted that it is not ready for the first wins. There are only two months left to change the bodywork. The engineers meet this challenge: three Ford GT40 participate at the 24 Heures in June 1964. The spectacular start of the race shows that this model will ably compete with Ferrari. HF2 did not win, but he has not lost either.
GT/104, the first lightweight steel prototype and the 4th prototype overall, was sold for $ 4.95M by Gooding on August 19, 2012 and for $ 7.6M by Mecum on April 12, 2014, lot S147.1.
It had been one of the three GT40 of the June 1964 race. After a new phase of improvements assisted by computer, which was a novelty at that time for racing cars, it was also the first GT40 to achieve a podium position when it finished at third place at the 2000 Km of Daytona in February 1965.
1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
2009 SOLD for $ 7.7M by Mecum
Carroll Shelby was developing his cars by fitting British AC Cobra chassis with Ford engines. Ford was offering a particularly favorable context to second Shelby's project : the Mustang, created in 1964, needed to increase its dominance and its market share against Chevrolet and Plymouth.
In 1964 the Daytona Coupe Cobra had an improved coupe body fitted on an existing Cobra chassis to increase the top speed by 25 mph. It was thus able to compete against the Ferrari 250 GTO in the FIA GT class. Only six Daytona Cobra coupes were built.
CSX 2601 was the fourth car. On 1965 it won in class at Monza, Nürburgring, Reims and Enna. It secured at Reims the points for making Shelby American the first ever US brand to win an International Championship for GT Manufacturers.
This car was sold for $ 7.7M by Mecum on August 15, 2009.
In 1964 the Daytona Coupe Cobra had an improved coupe body fitted on an existing Cobra chassis to increase the top speed by 25 mph. It was thus able to compete against the Ferrari 250 GTO in the FIA GT class. Only six Daytona Cobra coupes were built.
CSX 2601 was the fourth car. On 1965 it won in class at Monza, Nürburgring, Reims and Enna. It secured at Reims the points for making Shelby American the first ever US brand to win an International Championship for GT Manufacturers.
This car was sold for $ 7.7M by Mecum on August 15, 2009.
1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype
2019 SOLD for $ 7.7 M by RM Sotheby's
The development of the GT40 includes twelve prototypes, numbered GT/101 to GT/112. The first seven, in 1964, are coupes preparing the model for Le Mans. The last five are open-roofed roadsters.
The roadster prototypes aim to demonstrate the duality of use of the GT40 for road and competition. The roadster uses a special steel chassis. The production model will be the coupe, probably in a goal of industrial standardization.
The GT/108 and GT/109 roadsters are completed simultaneously in March 1965 and sent for testing to Carroll Shelby in California. GT/108 is demonstrated in a promotional tour while GT/109 is entered in Le Mans. Both cars will then be used as development models for the GT40 J-Car variant in another subsidiary of Ford, Kar Kraft.
Restored after 1983 in its original configuration, GT/108 was sold twice by RM Sotheby's, for $ 7M on August 15, 2014 and for for $ 7.7M on August 16, 2019, lot 252. Please watch the video shared in 2014 by the auction house including an introduction by Edsel Ford II, the son of Henry Ford II.
GT/109 passed at Mecum on January 12, 2019.
The roadster prototypes aim to demonstrate the duality of use of the GT40 for road and competition. The roadster uses a special steel chassis. The production model will be the coupe, probably in a goal of industrial standardization.
The GT/108 and GT/109 roadsters are completed simultaneously in March 1965 and sent for testing to Carroll Shelby in California. GT/108 is demonstrated in a promotional tour while GT/109 is entered in Le Mans. Both cars will then be used as development models for the GT40 J-Car variant in another subsidiary of Ford, Kar Kraft.
Restored after 1983 in its original configuration, GT/108 was sold twice by RM Sotheby's, for $ 7M on August 15, 2014 and for for $ 7.7M on August 16, 2019, lot 252. Please watch the video shared in 2014 by the auction house including an introduction by Edsel Ford II, the son of Henry Ford II.
GT/109 passed at Mecum on January 12, 2019.
1965 Shelby GT350R
2020 SOLD for $ 3.85M by Mecum
In 1964 the venerable Ford Motor Company makes a dramatic entry into the modern world. The new model is the Ford Mustang, the "pony car" which offers to young American drivers the dual use of a street car and a small sports car.
Ambitions are growing. The 1964 Mustang was not designed for competition, but it can indeed be modified. Ford once again calls Carroll Shelby and his Shelby American company. Shelby had entered his partner on the circuits by installing a Ford engine on the AC Cobra chassis. In 1964 he had redesigned the Ford GT, future GT40, whose first prototypes were not usable.
Ford lets Shelby sign his first two models of special Mustangs, the GT350R (Racing) and S (Street).
The second prototype of the Shelby GT350R was revealed to the press in January 1965. This car had its first competition at Green Valley TX in the following month. Driven by Ken Miles, it was photographed with its four wheels 30 cm above the track, before winning the race. This feat earned it the nickname of Flying Mustang.
Back in the Shelby factory, the Flying Mustang made a good career as a test mule for improving the GT350R model. It was sold for $ 3.85M on July 17, 2020 by Mecum, lot F140. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Ambitions are growing. The 1964 Mustang was not designed for competition, but it can indeed be modified. Ford once again calls Carroll Shelby and his Shelby American company. Shelby had entered his partner on the circuits by installing a Ford engine on the AC Cobra chassis. In 1964 he had redesigned the Ford GT, future GT40, whose first prototypes were not usable.
Ford lets Shelby sign his first two models of special Mustangs, the GT350R (Racing) and S (Street).
The second prototype of the Shelby GT350R was revealed to the press in January 1965. This car had its first competition at Green Valley TX in the following month. Driven by Ken Miles, it was photographed with its four wheels 30 cm above the track, before winning the race. This feat earned it the nickname of Flying Mustang.
Back in the Shelby factory, the Flying Mustang made a good career as a test mule for improving the GT350R model. It was sold for $ 3.85M on July 17, 2020 by Mecum, lot F140. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1966 Ford GT40 Mk II
1
2018 SOLD for $ 9.8M by RM Sotheby's
The first GT40 series, in 1964, is the Mk I with a 4.7 liter V8 engine. Aerodynamics is poorly designed and the results are bad. Meanwhile the arch-rival Ferrari won at Le Mans in 1965 for the sixth year in a row.
HF2 is stubborn. In 1966 you have to win at any price. The Mk II series is equipped with a 7-liter Ford V8 engine. Carroll Shelby replaced Wyer and transferred the maintenance to the United States. The technical problems observed on the early Mk I have been dealt with and the performances of the Mk IIs at Daytona and Sebring are promising.
The triumph occurred at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1966 in the presence of the boss. No less than eight Mk II and five Mk I entrusted to several private teams are qualified after the practice. Of these cars only three finish the race, all of them Mk II, but they occupy brilliantly the first three positions. For the first time an American brand has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
There is no reason to minimize this success, and the GT40 will win again the next three editions, in 1967 with a Mk IV and with a return of the Mk I in 1968 and 1969 following a rule change limiting the power. However it should also be reminded the very poor result of Ferrari in 1966, the first car of this brand being outpaced not only by the three Ford but also by four Porsche 906.
On August 24, 2018, RM Sotheby's sold at lot 124 for $ 9.8M a car from the winning trio : the Mk II ranked 3rd at Le Mans in 1966. After that race it was used as a promotional car and then as a development car for the Mk IIB series. Timed at 326 Km/h at Mulsanne in 1967, it meets HF2's target that his GT40 exceed 320 Km/h.
HF2 is stubborn. In 1966 you have to win at any price. The Mk II series is equipped with a 7-liter Ford V8 engine. Carroll Shelby replaced Wyer and transferred the maintenance to the United States. The technical problems observed on the early Mk I have been dealt with and the performances of the Mk IIs at Daytona and Sebring are promising.
The triumph occurred at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1966 in the presence of the boss. No less than eight Mk II and five Mk I entrusted to several private teams are qualified after the practice. Of these cars only three finish the race, all of them Mk II, but they occupy brilliantly the first three positions. For the first time an American brand has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
There is no reason to minimize this success, and the GT40 will win again the next three editions, in 1967 with a Mk IV and with a return of the Mk I in 1968 and 1969 following a rule change limiting the power. However it should also be reminded the very poor result of Ferrari in 1966, the first car of this brand being outpaced not only by the three Ford but also by four Porsche 906.
On August 24, 2018, RM Sotheby's sold at lot 124 for $ 9.8M a car from the winning trio : the Mk II ranked 3rd at Le Mans in 1966. After that race it was used as a promotional car and then as a development car for the Mk IIB series. Timed at 326 Km/h at Mulsanne in 1967, it meets HF2's target that his GT40 exceed 320 Km/h.
2
2016 SOLD for $ 4.4M before fees by Mecum
In 1966, while a new version Mk II is developed for competition, the original variant Mk I is converted for the road.
Ford hopes that the commercial success of this vehicle will be at the level of its performance and the arrival from UK in the USA of a first demonstration car in the road legal version is eagerly awaited. Its promotional tour is extensive with a culmination at Sebring where it makes the parade throughout the weekend of the event. Four pages are devoted to it in Playboy magazine in July 1966.
This specific car appeals the customer with an additional care provided to comfort, including air conditioning, layout of luggage and increased use of leather.
It traveled less than 18,000 km from new, significantly for its promotional activities. When it was to restore it the experts were astonished by its authentic condition. This restoration that just ended had lasted four years and the car was established in the most detailed configuration from its glorious exhibition at Sebring half a century earlier.
This historically important example of one of the most elegant road cars of the twentieth century was sold for $ 4.4M before fees by Mecum on August 20, 2016, lot S103.
Ford hopes that the commercial success of this vehicle will be at the level of its performance and the arrival from UK in the USA of a first demonstration car in the road legal version is eagerly awaited. Its promotional tour is extensive with a culmination at Sebring where it makes the parade throughout the weekend of the event. Four pages are devoted to it in Playboy magazine in July 1966.
This specific car appeals the customer with an additional care provided to comfort, including air conditioning, layout of luggage and increased use of leather.
It traveled less than 18,000 km from new, significantly for its promotional activities. When it was to restore it the experts were astonished by its authentic condition. This restoration that just ended had lasted four years and the car was established in the most detailed configuration from its glorious exhibition at Sebring half a century earlier.
This historically important example of one of the most elegant road cars of the twentieth century was sold for $ 4.4M before fees by Mecum on August 20, 2016, lot S103.
1966 The Shelby 427 Cobra of Carroll Shelby
2021 SOLD for $ 5.9M by Mecum
AC Cobra is the brand for the cars assembled by Shelby American from 1962 to 1967 with Ford engines on British rolling chassis by AC Cars. Its rise in power led in 1965 to the 427 Cobra with a 7 liter (427 cubic inches) engine on the new Mk III chassis.
The difficulties begin : the Mk III does not obtain homologation for racing in 1965. Shelby American revises its ambition and downgrades some unsold cars to 427 S/C (semi-competition).
The road model of the 1965 Mk III 427 is using another Ford engine. The failure of the competition version is not commercially favorable to this roadster, despite an excellent performance in its category. The boss wants to buy one.
The 1965 427 Street Cobra CSX3178 is assembled from January to March 1966. It is delivered to home to Carroll Shelby who will use it regularly and will never part with it. It has retained its original body and chassis and has been repainted in its rare Charcoal Gray original color.
Carroll Shelby's personal Cobra was sold for $ 5.9M by Mecum on January 15, 2021, lot F145. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The difficulties begin : the Mk III does not obtain homologation for racing in 1965. Shelby American revises its ambition and downgrades some unsold cars to 427 S/C (semi-competition).
The road model of the 1965 Mk III 427 is using another Ford engine. The failure of the competition version is not commercially favorable to this roadster, despite an excellent performance in its category. The boss wants to buy one.
The 1965 427 Street Cobra CSX3178 is assembled from January to March 1966. It is delivered to home to Carroll Shelby who will use it regularly and will never part with it. It has retained its original body and chassis and has been repainted in its rare Charcoal Gray original color.
Carroll Shelby's personal Cobra was sold for $ 5.9M by Mecum on January 15, 2021, lot F145. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
(1965)-1967 Shelby Super Snake
2021 SOLD for $ 5.5M by Barrett-Jackson
In 1965 Shelby releases the Cobra 427 roadster. The 23 units configured for competition are not street legal because the superfluous equipment such as windshield, fender and muffler have been removed. Due to racing homologation issues, many of them are downgraded to Semi-Competition, a road legal Shelby specification with a less efficient engine.
One of the original 23 cars, finished in September 1965, had another fate. Carroll Shelby decided in 1967 to push it to the highest possible performance on the road. It was referred as the Super Snake and titled 1966.
The Super Snake retained its original engine and was fitted with a twin supercharger and a three speed automatic transmission while receiving the required pieces of equipment for road homologation.
This car which has retained its original engine block was sold three tomes by Barrett-Jackson : for $ 5.5M on January 21, 2007, lot 1301, for $ 5.1M on January 17, 2015, lot 2509. and for $ 5.5M again on March 27, 2021, lot 1396. Please watch the video shared by Barrett-Jackson.
The only other car upgraded to Super Snake specification had got the opposite transformation : it was built from a street car, on request from a showbiz celebrity. It was accidentally destroyed by falling off a cliff into the Pacific ocean.
One of the original 23 cars, finished in September 1965, had another fate. Carroll Shelby decided in 1967 to push it to the highest possible performance on the road. It was referred as the Super Snake and titled 1966.
The Super Snake retained its original engine and was fitted with a twin supercharger and a three speed automatic transmission while receiving the required pieces of equipment for road homologation.
This car which has retained its original engine block was sold three tomes by Barrett-Jackson : for $ 5.5M on January 21, 2007, lot 1301, for $ 5.1M on January 17, 2015, lot 2509. and for $ 5.5M again on March 27, 2021, lot 1396. Please watch the video shared by Barrett-Jackson.
The only other car upgraded to Super Snake specification had got the opposite transformation : it was built from a street car, on request from a showbiz celebrity. It was accidentally destroyed by falling off a cliff into the Pacific ocean.
1967 Ford GT40 by JWA
2012 SOLD for $ 11M by RM Auctions
Ford's sporting goal is achieved with the full podium at Le Mans in 1966. FAV is dissolved and the Slough factory is sold to John Wyer, the former head of FAV as a subcontractor for Ford's commercial production with the company name John Wyer Automotive (JWA).
There were only 133 GT40 overall, cumulating all variants. One of these GT40, sold for $ 11M by RM Auctions on August 17, 2012, is related to the JWA phase of the model. Please watch the video shared by RM Auctions .
It successfully started its career by winning at Spa in May 1967 in a Mirage M configuration. Due to one of these changes in race regulations which we so often discuss in this group, it was rebuilt in the following year by Wyer under a configuration identified as 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf / Mirage Lightweight Racing Car.
It is one of two survivors from three lightweight GT40 by Wyer, and one of the earliest racing cars to use carbon fiber.
It then went to the movies industry, but not in the star role which its supreme elegance would have earned. In 1970, its roof was cut to allow the use of a 35mm camera by an operator on the passenger seat, and it was launched in the pursuit of the Porsche 917 of Steve McQueen as a camera car for the preparation of the film Le Mans.
There were only 133 GT40 overall, cumulating all variants. One of these GT40, sold for $ 11M by RM Auctions on August 17, 2012, is related to the JWA phase of the model. Please watch the video shared by RM Auctions .
It successfully started its career by winning at Spa in May 1967 in a Mirage M configuration. Due to one of these changes in race regulations which we so often discuss in this group, it was rebuilt in the following year by Wyer under a configuration identified as 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf / Mirage Lightweight Racing Car.
It is one of two survivors from three lightweight GT40 by Wyer, and one of the earliest racing cars to use carbon fiber.
It then went to the movies industry, but not in the star role which its supreme elegance would have earned. In 1970, its roof was cut to allow the use of a 35mm camera by an operator on the passenger seat, and it was launched in the pursuit of the Porsche 917 of Steve McQueen as a camera car for the preparation of the film Le Mans.
