2013 Shelby GT500 development prototype headed for auction

Ford is giving muscle car enthusiasts a rare opportunity to bid on the racetrack durability car used to develop the 2013 Shelby GT500 production Mustang. The car will be auctioned at the 41st Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Saturday, Jan. 21.

The sale will raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). On the auction stage will be Ford's President of The Americas, Mark Fields, and members of SVT. The event will be televised live on SPEED Channel.
The durability car was built in 2007 – one of the first vehicles with the new 2010 body. Then, for the 2013 model, the prototype was run for 24 hours at top speeds of 150 mph at Sebring to ensure all systems were functioning properly for customers who will replicate such grueling, high-use conditions.

The car includes a full roll cage, six-point harness seatbelts and new Recaro racing seats that were donated by Recaro North America, identical to those used in development. The production 2013 Shelby GT500 will be available with optional SVT-designed Recaro seats. Evidence of instrumentation from development can also be found inside the vehicle. Each member of SVT engineering who worked on the 2013 Shelby GT500 has signed the underside of the trunk lid.

"I raced on the Sebring International racetrack for many years," said Carroll Shelby. "But my ambition was always to build my own car. So it was exciting to be back to collaborate on this GT500 durability car with the SVT guys. I'm really proud to have my name on this car. They took my dreams of what a car should be and made it a reality."

All proceeds from the auction of the car will benefit JDRF, a leader in research leading to a cure for Type 1 diabetes. During the past five years, Ford – teaming with Barrett-Jackson – has raised more than $3 million for charity through sales of vehicles at auction.

"When the Ford SVT team and Carroll Shelby collaborate on a car, you know it's going to be firing on all cylinders," said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson Auction Company. "We have a long history of working with Ford and Carroll and are excited to have this one-of-one durability car cross our auction block in Scottsdale to benefit a very worthy charity."

2013 Ford Shelby GT500

The ultimate Ford Mustang – Shelby GT500 – raises the bar high on performance by delivering 650 horsepower and a test track top speed of more than 200 mph. The 5.8-liter V8 aluminum-block engine produces 650 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque, making it the most powerful production V8 in the world.

Nearly every part of the powertrain has been optimized for producing the additional horsepower, including a new supercharger, new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, a new carbon fiber driveshaft and upgraded clutch, transmission and axle.

And nearly every gear on the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 has been revised to manage the torque and use more of the power in a way that makes it more driver-friendly. Engineers considered more than 35 gearing combinations, ultimately deciding on one that balanced torque being transmitted all the way through the wheels and the grip to the ground.

The 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 will be built at AutoAlliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Mich.