Shelby-Owned ‘Black Hornet’ Mustang Hitting the Block

By John Coyle - January 20, 2023

Carroll Shelby owned this 1968 model for 40 years before he transformed it into a tribute to the mother of all Shelby Mustangs.

It’s no surprise that Caroll Shelby owned a lot of cars over the course of his life. But the 1968 “Black Hornet” Mustang Barrett-Jackson has just listed for sale is a special one indeed. Because while the legendary designer and American icon went through cars faster than most people go through pants, he owned this stellar example for a whopping four decades. So I’m guessing he must have liked it, and according to the auction description, it was a garage queen that seldom saw use on the street.

Now, as hardcore Mustang fans know, every Shelby Mustang can trace its origin to the “Green Hornet,” the dark green 1968 model that served as the prototype for all the high-performance models that would follow. As you might guess, the “Black Hornet” was built in tribute to that one-off car, though all the work was done after it had left Shelby’s personal collection. Of course, since it’s black, it’s not an exact match, and it also sports other features — like including independent suspension — its inspiration didn’t get.

Under the hood, there’s a 428 Cobra Jet big-block V8 fitted with an aluminum intake and aluminum heads, which is fed by a high-volume fuel pump and electronic fuel injection. Spark comes courtesy of Mallory ignition, and to keep things cool, there’s a Griffin radiator. As the name suggests, the car is a triple-black affair, and while lots of Shelby machines spurn luxury touches to save weight, this cabin looks quite civilized. Along with the de rigueur Shelby floormats, there’s even a radio and wood trim — which Shelby graced with his signature.

All told, the bold Texan put only 213 miles on this baby before he gifted it to his foundation, and today, there are just over 500 miles on the clock. As I mentioned above, the car wasn’t in Shelby’s personal collection when it was modified, but he was personally involved in the transformation, which is likely the only reason something he owned for so long was touched at all. Otherwise, I’d expect something with this pedigree to be promptly shrink-wrapped a put on display — which is almost certainly what will happen now.

There are no estimates on the Barrett-Jackson site, but the last time the “Black Hornet” popped up for sale, the asking price was $850,000, which actually seems somewhat reasonable. And while that was only four years ago, skyrocketing values in the classic car market, not to mention the one-of-one factor, make it likely that this machine will cruise into seven-figure territory. To find out exactly what the market will bear, we’ll have to wait for the end of this weekend’s festivities in Scottsdale. So stay tuned!

Photos: Barrett-Jackson