LAS VEGAS, NV – Prepared in collaboration with Goodyear to validate a new line of Goodyear tires, the one-and-done 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake is now on display at the Shelby Heritage Center in Las Vegas. This Shelby sold for a staggering $2.2 million at auction in January, making a record for the most expensive Mustang ever sold at auction. The car will join CSX2000, the first Shelby Cobra, during a special extended display through April 30, 2019.
“In a year in which the world will celebrate the anniversaries of the first Moon landing and Woodstock, the one and only 1967 Shelby Super Snake was an engineering achievement that, in its time, irrevocably was as much a pop culture star as any car,” said Joe Conway, Co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International and CEO of Shelby American. “That same spirit of innovation and thirst for more drives Shelby American today.”
CSX2000, the first Shelby Cobra, was the birth of Shelby American with its entirely new line of sports cars. The only 1967 Shelby Super Snake was the genesis for the first Ford Mustang-based muscle cars that Shelby American currently manufactures in Nevada. At a time when the 2019 Super Snake is available 800+ horsepower, few remember that the Mustang topped out at just 271 horsepower with the HiPo K-Code option in 1965 and 1966.
“Until Carroll Shelby and his team became fully involved with the Mustang program, horsepower and razor sharp handling had taken a backseat to accessible performance so Ford could expedite delivery of the car onto showroom floors,” said Gary Patterson, Shelby American president. “And while Shelby’s initial effort, the GT350, significantly upped the horsepower ante, it was the GT500 Super Snake with its race spec 427 under the hood, that shook the pavement and rattled history.”
In constructing the Shelby Super Snake, the company commissioned a 427 cubic-inch racing V8 built to the same spec as Ford’s Le Mans-winning GT40 MkII; it received an upgraded transmission and rear end. Upon completion, the Super Snake was track tested for 500 miles, where it reached speeds of 170 miles per hour. The Goodyear tires and the Shelby both held, validating the tires while adding another chapter in the legend that was Carroll Shelby.
As part of a Canadian collection for the last several years, the Shelby GT500 Super Snake has rarely been seen. To celebrate its arrival at the Shelby Heritage Center, the Larry Miller family agreed to leave Shelby Cobra CSX2000 on display through the end of April in Las Vegas. Their generosity gives enthusiasts an opportunity to see the two important pieces of American automotive history together for the first time. The 1967 Super Snake will be displayed for six months inside the same facility where Shelby’s latest Super Snake cars are built.
“The work of Carroll Shelby and his team in the 1960s continues to influence everything we do today at Shelby American,” said Vince LaViolette, Shelby American Vice President of Operations and Head of Development. “While ‘iconic’ is overused, there’s no better way to describe Carroll’s achievement when creating the Super Snake. Displaying it with the first Shelby Cobra will be as motivational for our team as it will be for the public. This pair of cars will both challenge us and remind us each day that performance is our business.”
The Shelby American Heritage Center features many examples of key vehicles built by the company over the past 57 years. It displays Shelby’s ranging from 1960s based cars through the Series 1 and contemporary versions of the Mustangs manufactured since 2006. These include the latetest versions of the Super Snake, Shelby GT and Shelby 1000 Shelby Mustangs, as well as performance trucks like the Shelby Super Snake Ford F-150.
The Shelby American facility is at 6405 Ensworth Street in Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.shelby.com.
About Shelby American, Inc.
Founded by legend Carroll Shelby, Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (CSBI:PK), manufactures and markets performance vehicles and related products. The company builds authentic continuation Cobras, including the 427 S/C, 289 FIA, 289 street car, Daytona Coupe and Shelby Series 2 component vehicles; it offers the Shelby GT, 1000, Super Snake, and GT post-title packages for the 2005-2019 Ford Mustang. Shelby American also offers the Shelby Raptor, Shelby F-150 Super Snake and Shelby F-150 trucks. Heritage cars include the continuation 1965 Shelby GT350 competition model, 1967 Ford Shelby Super Snake and 1968 Ford Shelby GT500KR. For more information, visit www.Shelby.com.