Ford Motor Co. is joining forces again with racing legend Carroll Shelby to produce a new high-performance Ford Mustang that will hit dealerships later this year.
Ford announced the new vehicle to dealers at meetings in Las Vegas this week. The automaker plans to formally announce the new Shelby Mustang next week in its online documentary that can be viewed on www.myboldmoves.com.
“We are working on the next new Shelby,” Ford spokesman Jim Cain said. “We want to announce it in our Bold Moves documentary so we are keeping our cards close to the vest for now.”
With few details, it's expected that the Shelby Mustang will be very similar to the limited edition Ford Shelby GT-H, a 335-horsepower Mustang that's available only as a rental at select Hertz locations.
Pricing has not been released, but the new Shelby is expected to be affordable.
Mustang and Carroll Shelby fans have clamored on Web sites for Ford to begin selling the Shelby GT-H in dealerships.
“It would be very interesting,” said Howard Pardee, of Waterford, Conn., national director of the Shelby American Automobile Club. “The GT-H already has a following. Shelby is the only icon remaining.”
Ford also recently collaborated with the racing legend on the Shelby GT-500, an ultra high-performance Mustang that sells for about $40,000 and the Ford GT super car, which goes for about $140,000.
Shelby, 83, may be the racing world's greatest living legend.
He became only the second American to win at Le Mans when he co-drove an Aston Martin to victory in 1959.
Shelby went on to lead the Ford team that designed the GT40s and won a historic 1-2-3 victory at LeMans in 1966.
He then made his mark as a vehicle tuning whiz, developing his own sports car.
