So about ten days ago, I get a mysterious E-mail asking, "for '65 or '66 G.T. 350s for an event on Monday, November 17th. The event will take place at the Shelby facility in Gardena and will have a host of Ford executives."
So of course, I'm intrigued! What ShelbyGuy wouldn't be?
I reply in the affirmative that I'm honored to provide my '66 Shelby for this "event", still not knowing what the event might be. Since I've been around car company activities for so long, I'm thinkin', "hmmmm, this sounds suspiciously like some sort of announcement, and having heard and seen rumors about a 'new' Shelby of some sorts, of course I'm in!"
So then I learn that I need to drop the car the day before the event, and finally see what the big deal is: an All-New Ford Mustang G.T. 350 Reveal at the old Shelby American place (originally the home of Carroll's Goodyear Racing Tire dealership, and the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation [www.cscf.org] and future Carroll Shelby museum).
So the set-up inside includes six early '65 & '66 Shelbys lined up, three per side, flanking the audience chairs, in an effort to highlight the old, while introducing the new. Black draping all around, each early Shelby with its own set of lighting. Really cool, eh?
Check out the Goodyear Blue Dot tires on the Crager/Shelby wheels, along with Bruce's "Driving School" Shelby behind it! That's #2060 in the far background.
So here's the really cool part and why everyone was there: at long-last the official reveal of the all-new Ford Mustang G.T. 350!
The new car was a big hit. The audience (all the local Shelby guys and gals) and the press were very excited about what they heard from the Ford 'suits', and from the new G.T. 350's tailpipes! They also liked what they saw upclose and in metal (some of which is aluminium!).
The new G.T. 350 certainly evokes the same rawness of the early Shelbys. If the pricing and availability are right, they'll go faster than Sunday's hotcakes!
What a treat to be part of this history-making move on the part of Ford, in an historic Shelby setting, surrounded with Shelbys, still disturbing the peace since 1962.
Feels like 1965 all over again!
