2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Highlights

• 5.8-litre supercharged V8

• 662bhp / 631lb-ft, 3.5 secs  to 60 and 200mph top speed

• 6-speed manual transmission

• Presented in factory specification

• Just 25,365 miles on the clock

Overview

Few names loom as large over the landscape of automotive history as Carroll Shelby. Perennial cowboy hat wearer, Le Mans winning race driver, Grand Prix driver, multiple winner at the wheel of Ferraris, designer and maker of obscenely powerful and desirable muscle cars, collaborator with Rootes, Dodge and Ford, not to mention the man who stuck it to Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966. And yet somehow he managed to complete 89 circuits of the sun, all despite having suffered serious heart problems since childhood. The word ‘legend’ is bandied about too much, but in the case of Shelby, it definitely applies.

And the true scale of the man’s impact can be seen in the fact that, for any petrolhead, this isn’t a Mustang. It’s not even a Ford. No, it’s a Shelby. And not just any Shelby, this is a GT500. A nameplate made famous in the 60s, then hammered into the public consciousness by the movie ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ in 2000. Every iteration of the GT500 has been the Mustang to have, and this 2014 example is no different.

The 5th generation Mustang was generally regarded as a return to form for the marque’s iconic model. But in 2013, as the 6th generation hove into view, Ford wanted to send the 5th out with a bang, maybe grabbing a few headlines on the way. Of course, there was only one man to turn to, and Carroll happily obliged, bolting on a raft of aesthetic and performance enhancements. The result? A barely conceivable 662bhp and 631lb-ft, delivered by a 5.8-litre V8 with a supercharger the size of Texas strapped atop it. Oh yes, and the small matter of being able to lap the Nürburgring in 7 minutes 39 seconds. Which is brutally fast.

In terms of outright performance, this is still a hugely fast car. It will dispatch the 0-60 charge in a good chunk under 4 seconds and push on to a genuine 200mph. Presented here in excellent overall condition, with a great specification, good history and very low mileage, we reckon the mk5 GT500 has to be one of the all-time performance bargains.

History and documentation

• 2014MY car, imported from California, USA

• Registered in the UK 1 March 2015

• Current owner since 14 May 2021

• Only one former owner in the UK

• 25,365 miles on the clock, verified by the MOT and service records

• Current MOT with no advisories expires 4 May 2026

• Excellent MOT record, with no major issues raised

• Some invoices for servicing and maintenance

• Service record as follows: Nov 2014 @ 4,583 miles (in the USA), Sep 2016 @ 8,398 miles, Aug 2017 @ 11,264 miles, Nov 2018 @ 13,627 miles, Jan 2020 @ 13,912 miles, Dec 2020 @ 14,550 miles

• Official Shelby Vehicle Authenticity Certificate

• V5 present in owner’s name

• HPI clear

• Currently on a private registration, which will be removed prior to sale

• London ULEZ compliant (we don’t understand how either, but it is)

Interior

• Handsome black leather upholstery, with ribbed effect to the door cards and seats

• The leather all presents very well, with no tears, sagging or significant wear on display, just a little gentle creasing to the front seats as you’d expect

• Black carpets with matched over-mats, all presenting well

• The dark headlining appears to be taut and intact, with no sagging, damage or staining we could see

• Electrically adjustable front seats, with heating function

• 2+2 seating, with the sculpted rear bench providing ample room for two passengers

• Dual-zone air conditioning

• Electrically operated side windows and door mirrors

• Official Shelby gear knob, in light grey with black over-stripes

• Multifunction steering wheel

• Bluetooth hands-free mobile phone connectivity

• Shaker CD/radio system

• Shelby authentication plaque on the centre console

• All of the internal switchgear and trim appears to be in good order, with some light wear commensurate with the car’s mileage, but no damage or notable marks apparent

• The vendor assures us that everything in the cabin works just as it should, with no faults or issues noted

Exterior

• Dark grey metallic paintwork, with black over-stripes and ‘GT500’ side stripes

• The paintwork looks to be in fine condition overall, with some minor stone chips and blemishes, but nothing that would concern us

• We noted a couple of small blister patches on the front edge of the bonnet

• All of the bodywork is in excellent condition, with no damage, corrosion or panel misalignment that we could discern

• The external trim and badging – including those iconic Shelby ‘Cobra’ badges – all looks to be in fine fettle, with minimal evidence of wear and tear

• There are a few scrape marks on the off-side front corner of the lip spoiler

• At the back, large quad tailpipes hint at the massive V8 lurking under the bonnet

• Underneath, the car appears to be straight and clean, with all the undertrays intact and in place, and just a smattering of the usual surface corrosion to the frame and some suspension components

• Original 19-inch alloy wheels, finished in gunmetal, with Shelby centre caps; all are in good condition with just a couple of minor chips to the lip of the off-side front wheel

• A matched set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres adorn the wheels, 265/40 at the front and 285/35 at the rear, all look to have clean and undamaged sidewalls, as well as good tread depth

Mechanical

• 5.8-litre supercharged V8

• Factory performance figures: 662bhp, 631lb-ft, 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds and a 200mph top speed

• Overall the engine bay looks clean and tidy, with some surface corrosion to the rocker covers, but no evidence of leaks we could see

• Tremec 6060 6-speed manual transmission

• Electronically adjustable ride control (Normal, Sport and Comfort)

• Performance Brembo brakes all round

• Launch control

• Cruise control

• Power-assisted steering

• Unmodified and in factory specification

• With low mileage, a long MOT and a good service record, this is one modern muscle car that should be good for many more years of bellowing performance

• We’re assured that the car runs just as it should, with no faults or mechanical problems reported

Summary

There’s little as satisfying as a properly sorted muscle car. They provide the kind of evocative, spine-tingling feedback that has largely been whittled out of modern performance machinery. Shelby was a master at making sure his muscle cars handled as well as they went and sounded too, the Mk5 GT500 is a great example of that. It’s a brilliant thing to pedal down a fast road.

As the great man himself said: "These cars are meant to be driven, so enjoy the hell out of all of it - not just look at it when it's clean." Words to live by – and precisely what we expect this fabulous GT500’s new owner will do.

This is a very fine example of what is, in our opinion, the best of the Mk5 Mustang range. For anyone who wants to understand why so many in the automotive community revere Shelby’s work, this is the perfect place to start…

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Frinton on Sea, Essex.