Description
This UK-supplied Shelby GT500 was one of the very first in the country, first registered on 20th September 2006. The car was specified in the launch colours of Torch Red with Performance White stripes and script. As with the Ford GT, the Ford 'Special Vehicle Team' made cars with very little optional extras available; this GT500 had both the options fitted from factory: Premium Interior Package & Shaker 1000 stereo system.
The first owner of this car sent it to Roush Performance for some upgrades quite early on, including: Whipple pulley & throttle body upgrade, carbon fibre air intake, tubular 'shorty' exhaust headers, 1000hp twin-plate clutch, lightened flywheel, Roush suspension kit, larger wheels and wider tyres. Although the car hasn’t been on a rolling road, the same engine modifications on examples in the USA have been proven to make upwards of 650hp. The first owner completed approximately 27, 000 miles in the car over a period of 5 years before selling it on in late-2012.
The second owner stored the car and used it very sparingly, adding a modern Pioneer head unit and driving it just 2, 000 miles before sadly passing away in 2022. We purchased the car for our collection in July 2022 at 29, 000 miles. We were not entirely happy with the way the GT500 handled on the non-adjustable Roush suspension and subsequently sent it to the leading Ford GT specialist, GT101 Ltd, for further enhancements. Over £6, 000 was spent on fitting: new Apex Racing wheels with OEM-correct Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres; 'Pedders Extreme' 32-way adjustable coilover kit; Ford Performance trailing arms and adjustable panhard bar; Ford GT exhaust manifold gaskets amongst other things.
Today, the mileage stands at 32, 000 and the car remains in excellent condition. We recently had the underside thoroughly cleaned and protected with ACF-50, as American cars of this age usually suffer from corrosion to their suspension and steering components. We can report that the underside is in very good order with very little surface corrosion present. The interior also shows very little wear, with the inherent door card insert sag only just beginning to show (the same has happened to our 12, 000 mile Super Snake). The Torch Red exterior is free from any dents, chips and scratches and the paint has a very good finish all round. Everything on the car works as it should, including the air conditioning, and it is free from any unwanted squeaks, rattles or knocks.
This GT500 is phenomenal to drive, it is possibly the best sounding car we have owned, owing to the 'shorty' tubular exhaust manifolds, Borla stainless system and carbon airbox. The standard S197 flawed handling (and stance) is completely eradicated by the upgraded suspension setup. The car feels very well planted in corners and over undulations, with direct steering and copious amounts of grip from 295-section rear tyres. The supercharger whine is intoxicating, with boost coming on very early in the rev range. This is not a car for the faint-hearted, but is incredibly rewarding once understood and respected.
The history file consists of: the original ‘GT500’ bookpack, manuals, stamped service book, various service and works invoices as well as old MOTs.
We have thoroughly enjoyed this car and were planning on keeping it in the collection, as we believe nice examples are definitely ones to watch for the future. However, a recent, unexpected purchase of a Super Snake forces the sale - it is a bit silly having two!
The (S197) Shelby GT500 was released at the peak of the retro car era and we reckon it's the closest you can get to the original Shelby ethos, in a modern package. The car is undeniably centred around the epic, quad-cam, supercharged V8 (the engine also used to power the Ford GT). However, despite their relatively simple suspension setup, the S197s can also be made to handle very well indeed. They just need the right parts for the job. This launch-spec, UK-supplied example has had huge expenditure to make it do just that, with a large power increase added in for good measure. And the noise... oh, the noise.
The car will be fully serviced by a specialist and freshly MOT'd for its next owner.
The registration number ‘V800 SVT’ will remain with the car.
The car is based at our Bicester showroom, please contact Greg with any questions, or to arrange a viewing.
£33, 995
