Mustang Shelby GT500

Make
Ford
Segment
Coupe

Carroll Shelby was no stranger to doing crazy things. He liked breaking the rules or, at the very least, rewriting them. But it had to be done his way. People like Lee Iacocca understood this and the two men went on to achieve great things together. Shelby passed away almost exactly nine years ago and he left many great cars, including the Ford Shelby 1000.

Launched by Shelby American in 2014, the Shelby 1000 was the most powerful production, street-legal muscle car on earth. Only five were built. Power came from a modified supercharged 5.8-liter V8 rated at - you guessed it - 1,000 horsepower and linked to a six-speed manual transmission. Shelby had been wanting to build a 1,000-hp Mustang as far back as 2006 but doing so would have been way too expensive and technically complicated.

Five years later, more reliable supercharging was developed with Shelby's involvement, and the Shelby 1000 debuted at the 2012 New York Auto Show. A few of the numerous engine upgrades included heavy-duty main and head studs, forged aluminum pistons, and Shelby performance fuel injectors. A Shelby/Borla exhaust system was installed with three-inch pipes.

The chassis required strengthening to handle the output with things like driveshaft braces, a billet aluminum transmission support, refined shock calibrations, and six-piston front and four-piston rear disc brakes. A set of billet forged three-piece alloy wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Exterior upgrades were surprisingly kept to a minimum (perhaps to keep it off the cops' radar).

A carbon-fiber hood, front and rear spoilers, side skirts, and body-side graphics are about the only things that set the car apart from the stock version. The interior received an upgrade package and there was no rear seat removal; the factory unit was simply replaced with a carbon-fiber one.

Now, you could go out and buy yourself a new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 or you could go bold and place a bid for this lovely thing at Mecum Auctions' Indianapolis auction next month. As one of five made, CSMM14SM002 comes with a custom car cover and complete Shelby Museum paperwork. What's missing from the auction listing is an estimated price and whether there's a reserve. Just be prepared to pay handsomely.