Carroll Shelby's 1969 Ford Shelby GT500 to be auctioned

A 1969 Ford Shelby GT500 once owned by Carroll Shelby himself will be offered at a Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida from January 4-15.

Mecum did not elaborate much on the car's history, noting only that the candy apple red car will be offered with a Carroll Hall Shelby Trust title attesting to its pedigree and a Shelby certificate of authenticity. According to the listing, actor and director Jackie Cooper also owned the Mustang at one time.

Unlike the original Ford Shelby GT350, which was developed for SCCA racing, the 1969 GT500 was designed solely as a road car; Shelby's partnership with Ford, which had produced the GT350, Cobra, and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the GT40, had waned by this point. The partnership between Shelby and Ford, which had produced the GT350 and Cobra and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the GT40, was waning at this point, so they were not as involved in the GT500's development.

Nevertheless, it was a powerful muscle car at the time, thanks to its 428 cubic-inch Cobra Jet V-8 engine. This engine was mated to a C6 three-speed automatic transmission, but a four-speed manual was also available. A traction-lock limited slip differential completed the connection to the rear wheels.

The GT500 continued in this body style through the 1970 model year, after which Ford discontinued the GT500 and parted ways with the Carroll Shelby. The Blue Oval revived the GT500 name with Shelby's seal of approval beginning with the 2007 model year. Shelby died in 2012, but the GT500 continues today in its 760-horsepower form, with the late tuner Shelby American offering its own modified version named the Shelby GT500 Code Red.

Although Mecum did not release a pre-auction estimate, it is worth noting that Shelby owned many of the cars. Indeed, another Shelby-owned 1969 GT500 was sold by the auction house in 2013, and in 2018, Shelby's collection of 23 cars and trucks went under the hammer. But the Shelby name can attract big money. Shelby's previously owned 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra Super Snake sold for $5.5 million at the 2021 auction.