Near-perfect Shelby GT500 Is Literally the Only One of its Kind
Star attraction for Mecum’s upcoming auction is this supremely rare 1967 Super Snake featuring ‘the mother of all 427s.’
In 1967, Carroll Shelby was approached by Goodyear to create a special Mustang for their Thunderbolt tire test. Shelby and Fred Goodell, Shelby American’s chief engineer, took the opportunity to build a one-of-a-kind supercar: The 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake. Now, this rare and elusive car is going on the auction block for Mecum’s upcoming Kissimmee Auction in Florida, January 3-13, 2019.
The Super Snake featured a 427 cubic-inch race engine that was simply a monster. “We rebuilt it with a special lightweight 427 racing engine,” recalled Shelby American Sales Manager Don McCain. “Special rear axle, special transmission and, of course, Thunderbolt tires.” McCain called the engine “the mother of all 427s at that time…aluminum heads, aluminum water pump, forged crank, Le Mans rods, just basically everything inside the engine was built to run sustained 6,000 RPM—to race at Le Mans.”
Once constructed, the Super Snake headed off to perform in the Goodyear Thunderbolt test, fitted with fitted with Shelby 10-spoke aluminum wheels and 7.75-15 Thunderbolt whitewall tires. The press was invited to cover this historical event, and the Super Snake did not disappoint. Over the course of the 500 mile test, the Mustang drove at an average of 142 mph, produced 520 hp and reached top speeds of 170 mph. It set a world record in its class.
There were plans to produce 50 of the GT500 Super Snakes, but it ultimately proved too expensive an endeavor. So all that remains is this gorgeous piece of automotive history.
But what a piece it is!
Over the years, it has changed hands from a few Mustang collectors. One modified the car by swapping out the 2.73 gearset with a 4.10 unit for drag racing.
It is still clean and in remarkably pristine condition. One owner, Richard Ellis, added a few minor changes. Ellis used only period-correct wires and hoses for the engine compartment, and added a Rotunda fire extinguisher, NOS Shelby 10-spoke wheels and, of course, four brand-new Thunderbolt whitewall tires.
The car is featured in a number of publications, the book “Million Dollar Muscle Cars” by Colin Comer, and an episode of My Classic Car.
Earlier this year, Mustang announced that a limited run reproduction would be available to consumers.
If you are in the market, the Super Snake will likely fetch well over $1 million dollars, conservatively. But it is worth every penny. It is not only Mustang perfection, but a passion project of Shelby himself.
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