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 1967 Shelby G.T. 500 Convertible

 

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The Shelby American, Issue #53 - "Cobrasations" (1988)

Fred Goodell

Download the entire interview (pages 13-21)

 

The following paragraphs regarding the 1967 Convertible Engineering Car appeared in Issue #53 (1988) of The Shelby American.

SAAC: There was also a prototype convertible built in 1967, wasn't there?
Goodell: Yes. That car was also updated to 1968 specifications.
 
SAAC: That car is presently owned by a SAAC member. He initially had a very difficult time convincing everyone that it was a genuine 1967 Shelby. You can imagine - everyone knows the convertibles weren't built until 1968, and this car had a lot of 1968 parts on it.
Goodell: How did he ever get that car? It was supposed to have been scrapped.
 
SAAC: Little Red hasn't turned up yet.
Goodell: Little Red was scrapped. I'm sure of that. The 'Green Hornet' was, too.
 
SAAC: The 'Green Hornet'?
Goodell: That's what we called another prototype we built. It was actually a California Special we bought from the Ford Division. It had an experimental 428 Cobra Jet engine with Cololec electronic fuel injection, a Conolec high capacity fuel pump mounted in the gas tank, a special automatic transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes and '68 Shelby hood and nose, taillights, fog lamps and insignia. It was painted Gold Lustre Green lacquer with GTX 500 KR side stripes. This car really moved out: it hit 157 MPH at Ford's Romeo Proving Grounds. It would do zero to sixty in 5.7 seconds and zero to 100 in 11.4 seconds.

Here's a funny story about that [convertible] car. When I moved to Southern California I lived in Pacific Palisades, in an apartment complex called the 'Polynesian Village'. We often had trouble getting technical people out at Shelby American. That was one of our worst problems. I got an engineer from Dearborn and brought him out to do some special work for us. He stayed at the Polynesian Village and he took that convertible home one night. The next morning, at about 6 o'clock, he knocked on my door and said, 'Somebody stole the car.' We went down to the space in the parking garage where he had left it and it sure was gone. Clean. I called the Los Angeles Police right away and the auto recovery squad guy came out to investigate. He said a car like that was probably across the border by now. Low and behold, about three or four days later they found it – up at the top of Palos Verdes - stripped. And whoever did it was an expert. They took the engine and they took everything else off of the car but they didn't leave a mark on that automobile. When they stole the radio they disconnected all of the wires – they didn't cut them. Everything was taken off very carefully. When they took the wheels and tires they put the lug nuts back on the studs. We never found out if it was a gang or just a couple of individuals. 
 

SAAC: What happened to the car after that?
Goodell: We rebuilt it. But when we were finished with it, it was scrapped.
 
SAAC: Typically, what would happen to these experimental cars - Shelbys with four wheel discs, sun roofs or 351 Cleveland engines? Would they be returned to production specifications and sold as used cars?
Goodell: No, they would be scrapped. I say that, but I never really trusted the comptroller we had. He might have sold them. I was told that 1967 convertible prototype was scrapped but you say it is still around. I never signed the scrap sheet so I don't know for a fact if the comptroller did. He was a penny-pincher from way back. But they were supposed to be scrapped.
 
See Also: Carroll Shelby Interview, Jim Frank Interview, Vehicle Information Provided by the CSF, Comparing the Interviews and CSF Vehicle Information, Theft Repair Invoice

 

 
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