Shelby GT500 owner owns piece of history
Snakes don't generally like the cold but that didn't stop this serpent from spending the first 25 years of its life being driven by a top-level Ford exec to the company's Detroit headquarters in snowy Michigan on a regular basis.
Two owners later and this 87,000-mile, 1970 Shelby Cobra GT500 hasn't traveled far from its chilly roots since Kent Krueger of Barrington purchased it in 2002 in downstate Champaign. Winter is a thing of its past, as it spends many of its days hibernating in a cozy garage, only emerging on warm, sunny drives.
You'd have to turn over quite a few rocks to find a Shelby like this - only 636 were sold off dealers' lots. Despite the model year designation, there were no official plans for a Shelby to be built in 1970. And in fact, none were. All 636 were actually leftover '69 models that had not sold, albeit with a few modifications tacked on. Those included new stripes on the hood, a lower front valance spoiler, a vented fuel system, and a new VIN tag attached under the watchful eye of FBI agents.
Carroll Shelby, the man responsible for these track-hungry 'Stangs, has become an automotive icon and permanent fixture in the performance car world. After retiring from professional racing, he opened his own tuning company in the early '60s, producing the British-based, American-powered AC Cobra and then later working closely with Ford to produce those famous Mustangs that proudly bear his name. The relationship began to deteriorate as the decade progressed, and Ford realized that Shelby wasn't the only one who could produce a big-power Mustang. They were churning out their own bad-boy ponies: the Boss 302, Boss 429 and Mach 1 were all created by incorporating the performance features found on Shelby's handiwork, but without the man himself.
The tension rose as Ford took an even larger slice of control in the creation of the '69 Shelby Mustang than with previous models. Frustrations mounted for the performance guru, and in the summer of '69 Shelby terminated his working agreement with Ford. For the next decade he removed himself from the mainstream automotive scene, emerging again in 1983 with another car bearing his name and modifications. This time it wasn't for the blue oval, but rather for the rival carmaker Dodge, with their souped-up Charger.
That's not to say that he left on a bad note and skimped on performance for the 1969/70 GT500. Quite the contrary, as twisting the hood pins and raising the vented hood reveals. Coiled inside the wheel wells sits a massive 428 cubic-inch Super Cobra Jet V-8 packing a whopping 7 liters of raw power 'rated' at a conservative 335 horsepower. As to be expected with an engine of this size, this snake has got quite the thirst for dino-juice. When asked about fuel mileage, Krueger responds sheepishly, "I'd be lucky to get 5 to 7 miles per gallon. What can I say? It's a gas eater."
But as any muscle car enthusiast knows, these cars weren't created with the intention of reducing the carbon footprint. Rather, they were purpose-built for one thing - going fast. Shelby made sure of that with the changes he made to the stock '69 pony this '70 GT500 is based upon. The entire front clip is made of weight-saving fiberglass, meaning that this monster power plant has less mass to move when the long, go-pedal is mashed down. A quick peek inside Krueger's ride reveals the fully functional roll bar with race harnesses attached, which keeps the occupants safely planted in their seats. One of Krueger's favorite features is something you'd only notice when you want to rein in those 335 stampeding horses and bring them to a stop - the taillights. Surprisingly, they were sourced from the 1965 Thunderbird and are 'sequential,' meaning that when the turn signal is on, the three bulbs inside each light assembly will blink toward the outside, indicating your desired direction. "It's a little thing but it just helps to make the car unique," Krueger says.
And unique is just the word for Krueger's snake. Heavily documented and immaculate are several more. The restoration job the car underwent shortly before leaving the exec's hands was meticulous, breathing new life into this numbers-matching black jade metallic Cobra. Photos were taken at each step along the way and are now contained in a comprehensive album, readily available for viewing. Krueger intends to keep the car in this pristine condition and ensures it will stay like this by not being afraid to get his hands dirty. "It's a 'knuckle buster' engine to work on. But I do all the regular maintenance to it," he says.
As for the documentation, this trophy winner has it all. It has the original build sheet; temporary registration card dated May 12, 1970; a Marti Report, a Customers Relations Center (CRC) letter from Ford verifying its authenticity, and it can be found in the Shelby Registry. All of this history equates to high desirability; it has recently been appraised for north of six figures.
Despite having multiple offers to purchase the car, Krueger is steadfast in his decision to hang onto to it. "I've always loved Shelby's and the fact they are such a unique car. And especially this one, with it being the last year of the classic Shelby's," says Krueger.
It seems once you've been bitten by one of these Cobras, it is hard to purge its strong appeal.
In recent years, Shelby and Ford have reunited and are once again producing hard-core Mustangs. Needless to say, Krueger has taken notice and has already started clearing out a stall in his stable.
"The car I've got my eyes on now is that 2011 Shelby GT350. That car is going to be awesome, making 600 horsepower!" Looking around, he quickly adds with a smile, "But don't tell my wife!"