Here is a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, seen in the Chinese capital, Beijing, in the great summer of 2023. It had just rained, and the drops made the big Ford look even better.
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is a special variant of the Ford Mustang. It was jointly developed by Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) and Shelby American. Our car is based on the facelifted fifth-generation Ford Mustang. Ford manufactured it for only 3 years, from 2010 to 2012.
The Shelby GT500 package included racing stripes, unique front and rear fascias, a hood with a functional vent, and a special rear wing with a built-in Gurney flap. It had Shelby snake logos on the grille, on the front fenders, and on the back. The car I came across had aftermarket black multispoke alloy wheels.
The interior
The racing stripes run across the hood and over the rear, giving the car a super-cool look. The interior of this particular car is well-maintained — everything remains original except for the mobile phone holder. The audio unit looks clean. The sports seats have another Shelby logo on the backrest.
Specifications
The main attraction of the Shelby GT500 was the engine. Under the hood sits a 5.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 with an output of 540 hp (403 kW) and 691 Nm. Shelby mated the motor to a six-speed manual gearbox; all horses went to the smokin’ rear wheels.
The Ford Shelby GT500 has a 290 km/h top speed, and it does 0-100 in 4.5 seconds. Note the old-school antenna atop the rear fender on the right. The third brake light hides just below the wing.
The Ford Mustang in China
Ford never officially sold the fifth-generation Mustang in China, but the American muscle car became hugely popular there. Many examples arrived through the gray market, often costing more than three times the U.S. price.
There were even Mustang clubs back in those days, with Chinese folks driving their ‘Stangs around wearing cowboy hats and drinking Budweiser. I went to many such events. Budweiser was trying to get into China at the time, and the brand sponsored everything related to American cars. I am glad they did so, great and hazy memories!