Today Shelby American went back to the future with the announcement that it would continue the 1967 Shelby Super Snake using 1967 donor Mustangs bearing the original signatures of its two main sparkplugs. So, if you always wanted a new one, this limited run is your chance.
Shelby American’s lineup of vehicles today is the most diverse in our 56-year history… — Joe Conway, Shelby American
“We’re fulfilling the dream of Carroll Shelby and Don McCain,” Shelby American president Gary Patterson said. “Shelby built an engineering study dubbed the ‘Super Snake’ for high-speed tire testing by Goodyear in 1967. When that successful test ended, Shelby American offered it to Mel Burns Ford in SoCal to retail to the public. Former Shelby American employee Don McCain approached Shelby about doing a limited run of cars. They carefully studied the idea but sadly, the timing did not work because the car was too expensive. The program never came to fruition — until now.”
Based on real 1967 Mustangs (or Shelbys if the owners so choose), these cars will carry factory vehicle identification numbers and titles. Either way they will be stripped to the bare metal and reborn from the ground up as Super Snakes at a facility in Pennsylvania before being sold via Shelby American.
Roadster Reboot
In addition to bringing back the ’67 Super Snake, Shelby American is reintroducing its roadster in a revised form dubbed the Shelby Series 2. While the original version featured a non-Ford 4.0-liter engine and a near-perfect weight balance, a big-inch Ford powers the new version.
“Carroll Shelby’s first ‘clean sheet’ car, was the Shelby Series 1,” Shelby American CEO Joe Conway said. “Carroll always intended for that innovative chassis to be the first in a line of modern sports cars, which is why he called it the Series 1. The new Shelby Series 2 is the evolution of that minimalist car, offering breathtaking performance in a modern two seat roadster.”
Based on the original aluminum honeycomb monocoque frames, the Series 2 roadsters utilize an inboard-cantilevered suspension, six-piston brakes, and 19-inch wheels all around. It can be powered by one of two 427-cube engines, either a big-block or a stroked Windsor and either is backed by a ZF five-speed transaxle.
“Several years ago, Wingard Motorsports purchased the remaining Shelby Series 1 chassis and parts,” Shelby American President Gary Patterson explained. “Working with Shelby, founder Bob Wingard revised the car to reduce weight by maximizing the integration of billeted aluminum and carbon fiber components. He further refined the suspension, braking, and drivetrain to allow an increase of more than twice the horsepower of the original car. The Series 2 is now more than 12-percent lighter and will support over 800 horsepower.”
Shelby American will only create four of these sports cars and each will be hand-built to the customer’s specifications.
“Shelby American’s lineup of vehicles today is the most diverse in our 56-year history,” Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American, said. “From high-tech modern muscle and off-road super trucks to track-day thrill rides and heritage cars like the continuation 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake, we offer something for everyone who wants to be best in class.”
These are definitely heritage cars, as 427-cube big-blocks will power the continuation Super Snakes. With big-cube power up front and a four-speed manual in the tunnel, these continuation machines will transport you back to 1967 in a hurry.
Sold via Shelby American, these new Super Snakes will sell for a cool $249,995, and you can lay eyes on one of the first examples at the Carroll Shelby Tribute show this Saturday at Carroll Shelby International in Gardena, California.