1967-68 Shelby Carbon Fiber Concept “Dream Car” Becomes Reality
DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Executives with Classic Recreations have announced that the recently unveiled heritage Shelby GT500CR carbon fiber concept car has gone into production. Dubbed the Carbon Edition, only 25 of these limited edition supercars will be delivered by the company at the Shelby American facility in Las Vegas and are available for worldwide distribution. Upon delivery, a donation will also be presented by Classic Recreations to the Carroll Shelby Foundation.
“We’re excited that the world’s first carbon fiber bodied heritage Shelby GT500CR has moved from dream to reality; a true inspiration for future models,” said Jason Engel, founder, co-owner and lead designer at Classic Recreations. “Far too often, car companies tease the public with concepts that never go into production. Our first car of this spectacular new series is being assembled and we look forward to presenting it to its new owner at the Shelby American facility in Las Vegas. This carbon fiber bodied continuation heritage Shelby GT500CR will carry the Shelby DNA into every model we build.”
Officially unveiled by Classic Recreations in May, this visionary, re-imagined American muscle car moves the iconic 1967 Shelby GT500 into the 21st century with a powerful contemporary engine, upgraded suspension, better braking systems and the latest automotive technologies. The Shelby cars combine the best of classic and contemporary worlds, all wrapped in a lightweight and ultra-strong carbon fiber body.
“Carroll Shelby was a proponent of carbon fiber and leveraged its benefits in everything from lightweight wheels to the Shelby Series 1 sports car,” said Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American. “We’re pleased that Classic Recreations is now applying that exotic technology to continuation heritage Shelby muscle cars. Shelby’s sales team will make them available to customers and we plan to help prep the cars for delivery when they arrive in Las Vegas. As with all Shelby cars built by Classic Recreations, we will document each one in our Shelby Registry. Carroll would’ve been proud of this collaboration.”
Working with SpeedKore Performance Group, Classic Recreations directed the process to create the woven carbon fiber bodies using original Shelby molds to meticulously reproduce the iconic lines of the classic 1967-68 Shelby Mustang. It is the first time that the technology used by supercars, exotics and aircraft has been applied so extensively to an American muscle car.
“By wrapping this featherweight carbon fiber body over the original steel substructure, we can create perfect panels, seams and lines,” said Engel. “The result is stunning perfection in a car that is an astounding 600 pounds lighter than stock. The power-to-weight ratio is on par with the most exotic vehicles, making it a modern world-class supercar with American muscle at its soul.”
These Shelby muscle cars will be powered by a Stage 2 Whipple supercharged Ford 5.0L Coyote engine mated to a Tremec six-speed manual transmission. The potent car has an adjustable coil-over suspension, tubular subframe connectors, high-performance Wilwood brakes, roll bar and hydraulic steering rack. The cars will rumble with a stainless-steel MagnaFlow performance exhaust system and roll on American Racing forged wheels wrapped with high-performance Michelin Z-rated tires. The stunning interior features an Alcantara headliner and console.
To commemorate this radical new approach to American muscle, Classic Recreations is offering this hand-painted, limited edition model. The exterior stripe color can be customized, and the body will be treated with UV protected clear coat to show off the perfect carbon weave patterns. Each will also receive special badges that will be applied by Shelby American to the cars when they arrive in Las Vegas.
The package includes transportation of the car to Las Vegas and a special client delivery experience. This will include accommodations for one night in a luxury hotel, private tour of Shelby American, photo opportunity with the vehicle and a specially-curated Shelby gift package. A meaningful donation in the customer’s honor will be made to the Carroll Shelby Foundation, which is dedicated to providing medical assistance for those in need, including children, educational opportunities for young people through automotive and other training programs and benefitting the Shelby Automotive Museum.
The Carbon Edition Shelby GT500CR package is ready for order and will begin at $298,000. Production requires about 12-18 months and select customized upgrade options are available. For sales and ordering information, contact Shelby American at (702) 942-7325 or Classic Recreations at (877) 235-3266.
ABOUT CLASSIC RECREATIONS
Classic Recreations’ team of skilled technicians and craftsmen have been modifying and building high-performance vehicles for more than 15 years. Each built-to-order vehicle takes nearly 2,500 man-hours of painstaking assembly. Classic Recreations is licensed by Ford Motor Company to build Ford Mustang restorations and continuation cars. Classic Recreations is also a Ford Racing distributor. Each Classic Recreations officially-licensed Shelby comes with a Shelby serial number and is included in the official Shelby Worldwide Registry. More information is available at Classic-Recreations.com.
Contacts
Scott Black (TPRM.Com)
(214) 566-6458 I sblack@tprm.com
