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Ford and Carrol Shelby Are Back Together Again

By Bill Koenig / Bloomberg News

Ford Motor Co., the world's second- largest automaker by sales, will develop high-powered, low-volume vehicles with designer Carroll Shelby as the company seeks to bolster the image of its cars and trucks.

Shelby, 80, developed the Ford GT40 race car in the 1960s and served as an adviser for the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker's new GT sports car, which is based on the GT40. Terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.

"There's a lot of good ideas" for future models, Chris Theodore, vice president for advanced product creation, said in an interview. "They will definitely be performance products. We're not talking about

200,000 to 300,000 unit volume."

Ford has made three of the GTs this year and plans regular production of about 1,000 of the cars next year. The automaker has said the GT, which will sell for more than $100,000, will help the image of its Ford brand. The company's U.S. market share fell 1.4 points to 18.3 percent in July from a year earlier.

With models such as the GT, Ford may be targeting middle-age consumers with disposable income and "not necessarily aiming at young people," said Alan Baum, director of forecasting at auto- industry consulting firm Planning Edge in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

NoOp Comment: Could this mean a new Shelby Mustang?

Patrick '93 Cobra

Reply to
Patrick
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Patrick wrote: > NoOp Comment: Could this mean a new Shelby Mustang?

Well if there isn't then a lot of people at ford need to be fired. I can't imagine a new Shelby Ford relationship with NO shelby Mustang... damn how cool will that be? Only thing is... does it displace the cobra? do they shoot for more limited than the Cobra or less limited? Do they go "retro shelby" or something new... No offense to Cobra owners but if they put a new Shelby Mustang in that bracket I'd be at ford the day after they announced it ordering one.

Reply to
Simon Juncal

Let me guess... the usual 300 or so cars that will be up'd well over sticker by the dealers. *yawn*

Reply to
Brent P

I hope it won't take much to swap in a big Windsor when mod time comes.

Helmut Roner

1988 GT
Reply to
HELMUT RONER

A Windsor? Screw that, how about a Cleveland!

Reply to
GoAwAy669

Simon Juncal opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@erols.com:

Were you satisfied with your Shelby Charger?

Is that saying enuff?

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Backyard Mechanic opined in news:Xns93D96DD873C06BkMch6d@216.168.3.44:

Hmm.. maybe it isnt. What Shelby did in the heyday was great stuff. No one had a greater impact.

And I didnt really think the C.S. Chili was a bad idea, then came the Shelby Charger and, - though you understand I'm a 4 cyl turbo guy - I thought WTF!!

But lately he's put his name on anything he can get money for; I'll have to see he's changed his ways to be impressed.

As to the big picture, Shelby's impact will be little to nil, whatever happens. Ford needs to get back on track, keep the freakin beancounters OUT of the prepoduction engineering/supplier negotiation for their cars and avoid debacles like the last 15 years.

TFI

3.8 headgaskets A/T - 1st gear accum piston and undersized clutches Exploder/Firestone

We need a re-commitment to "Quality: Job One!"

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Or a stroked Clevor perhaps?

Reply to
Cory Dunkle

It will be a 2006 Mustang Shelby GT500F sporting a supercharged version of the modular 5.0 and based on the new platform.

Reply to
Barrett

snip

snip

Nah, if nothing else, Ford can survive on pickups alone.

Reply to
Ron Hammon

Do you consider that a GOOD thing?

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Umm.. not saying one way or the other, never having dealt with one. It didn't appeal to me personally, but I'm sure someone somewhere is probably nostalgic about one. Same for Yugos too, I bet. :)

On a related note, I found it amusing that (according to the article that Kirby recommended) FoMoCo retained an 80 year old with a heart condition to add some 'zest' (their word) to their lineup. I hope that when I'm that age, I have that kind of outlook, but I'll probably be more concerned with finding my glasses.

Reply to
RayS

Here's some more news about this agreement with Shelby.

------------

Ford Motor Co. is creating what will be a new line of halo vehicles with the assistance of legendary high-performance afficianado Carroll Shelby.

The No. 2 U.S. automaker has formed a "historic new partnership" with Shelby to develop specialty performance versions of its hottest new cars.

Shelby, 80, has been a technical adviser on the upcoming Ford GT super car since last year. But his new contract with Ford could lead to a retro-renaissance of souped-up Mustangs to rival the best of the '60s.

"We're partners again," Shelby said in an interview. "What I want to do are those things I always wanted to do -- build sports cars."

Ford executives are almost in awe of the legendary Shelby, an East Texas chicken farmer who won the famed Le Mans 24-hour road race in

1959, then built a fleet of Ford race cars that beat Ferrari, Jaguar and Porsche at their own game.

"The Shelby name is magic, and it seems magical that he is back at Ford," said Chris Theodore, Ford's vice president for advanced product creation. "There are a lot of opportunities to do some stunning cars."

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Reply to
Patrick

Big surprise. Going down that Chrysler "Viper" road. High priced sports cars, without the refinement of the Japanese or Italian cars. Are they going to lose $5000/unit like Chrysler does on every Viper?

-Rich

Reply to
rander3127

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