Rare Mustangs usually bring big money on the auction circuit and this S197 certainly meets that criteria. This 2008 Shelby GT prototype was the first created in that model year it was driven by Carroll himself as well as members of the media as this car made the promotional rounds.

“The Shelby GT was engineered for people that put performance first,” Carroll said a the time. “Working with Ford Racing, we created this Shelby to be an everyday driver that’s tuned for fun at the track. Those who value a well-balanced package will appreciate it. Those who don’t will be left behind staring at its tailpipes.”

Gotta love that brash description from the man whose name adorns these rare cars. It was the one prototype of 2,214 total 2008 Shelby GTs built in 2008. Of those, only 583 Vista Blue2008 Shelby GT convertibles galloped out of the Shelby stable.

“This particular car was both the prototype for the 2008 Ford Shelby GT pre-title pony car, as well as the prototype for the first retail Mustang-based Shelby built convertible since 1970,” Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American, said. “And since the Shelby convertible was built just as the 2008 cars went into production, it is actually based on a 2007 model year Mustang. This makes it very, very rare since a convertible Shelby GT was not offered in 2007”

The car is being auctioned by the Carroll Shelby Foundation to help provide medical assistance and educational opportunities for children in need.

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Not only did this car appear in a swath of media coverage, but it was driven (and signed) by Carroll Shelby himself.

This is a historically important car because it represents a return of the Shelby ‘small-block’ convertible to Ford dealerships, as well as the final year of the pre-title manufacturing agreement between Ford Motor Company and Shelby for the Shelby GT program,” Neil Cummings, Co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International, CEO of Carroll Shelby Licensing, and Co-President of the Carroll Shelby Foundation, said. “The winning bidder will own a car personally cherished by Carroll Shelby, as well as having the satisfaction of contributing to the charity that Carroll so loved.”

This rare car will cross the block on Friday, January 19, 2018, and you can see the official listing right here.