Though it is one of the least-known cars that bear the Shelby name, the Shelby Series 1 is one of the most important. It is Carroll Shelby's passion project - one that he completed late in his life - and the only car the legendary American automotive designer and racing driver has built from scratch.
It represented his vision of an ideal sports car, and just 249 examples of the Shelby Series 1 were made between 1998 and 2005, which makes it quite rare and highly coveted among car collectors and enthusiasts. Only 70 examples were factory-fitted with a supercharger, and one of them is about to soon go under the hammer.
Nowadays, the Shelby nameplate is tightly associated with Ford and high-performance versions of the Mustang, but there was a time when Shelby American was a fully-fledged car manufacturer that changed the face of auto racing in the 1960s with models like Cobra, Shelby Mustang, and Ford GT40.
Best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and later with Mustang-based performance cars built in partnership with Ford Motor Company, Carroll Shelby's dream was to cap his impressive career with a clean-sheet sports car, something he had never achieved before. In designing it, he took inspiration from the original Cobra, and the result was a short-wheelbase, open-top coupe with a modern twist powered by a mighty V8 engine.
"I’m tired of imitations," Shelby was cited as saying by the Chicago Tribune in 1994. "Folks have put the Cobra name on all sorts of stuff over the years, but none of them were Shelby Cobras. Before they throw the last shovel of dirt on me, I want to take one last shot at an honest-to-goodness Cobra."
In many respects, the vehicle was a modern reinterpretation of the original Shelby Cobra from 1962, the very first car to bear the Shelby name. There are clear similarities between the two cars in terms of style, both being roadsters with a long hood, front-mounted V8, and rear-wheel drive.
Though it was introduced in 1999, the development of the car started in 1994, with Bruce Canepa responsible for the design. The Series 1 was built on an extruded and formed aluminum monocoque chassis and featured specially designed aluminum honeycomb panels on the floorboards and rocker panels for increased rigidity. The engineering that went into making the chassis was well ahead of its time, providing strength and rigidity while reducing weight.
The race-car-like construction continued with lightweight body panels made from a combination of carbon fiber and fiberglass laminate, an advanced dual wishbone suspension with coilover remote reservoir dampers mounted inboard and actuated by rocker arms, and the V8 mill mounted completely behind the front axle.
Speaking of the engine, under the hood of the Shelby Series 1 sat an Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 liter V8 engine that was able to deliver 320 hp (325 ps) and 290 lb-ft (394 Nm) of torque in naturally aspirated form and sent the power to the rear wheels via a ZF six-speed manual transmission.
Due to the car's low curb weight of about 2,650 lbs (1,202 kg), the car could do the 0 to 60 sprint in just 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 170 mph (274 kph). When General Motors stopped producing the Aurora V8 engine, Shelby decided to equip the existing Series 1 units with superchargers, which significantly boosted output to 450 hp (456 ps).
Despite the cutting-edge design for the 1990s and the V8 engine, the early reception of the car was not spectacular due to some issues with build quality. Today, the surviving units of the modern classic American roadster are starting to enjoy more appreciation among collectors and see their values climb.
The extremely rare example in question here is the most desirable specification - one of the 70 factory-supercharged Shelby Series 1 units ever made. It takes power from Oldsmobile's 4.0 liter L47 V8 DOHC "Aurora” engine capable of a stonking 450 hp. The supercharged models are said to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds, a significant improvement over the 4.4 seconds required by the naturally-aspirated version.
This 1999 collector-quality example is finished in an elegant silver hue with twin gloss-red racing stripes and a black convertible roof. It features larger brakes front and back and a heavy-duty clutch, as well as cruise control, air conditioning, and power windows. It rides on 18-inch Shelby American five-spoke split-rim alloy wheels wrapped in front Goodyear Eagle F1 tires and rear Nitto NT555 tires, all of which are new.
Though the interior of the car was never its strong suit, this example's looks quite comfy. The black and gray leather-trimmed interior is minimalist and has embroidered "Carroll Shelby" signatures on the seat backs, along with carbon-fiber trim.
Offered for sale out of Varese, Italy, this rare Shebly Series 1 had only two owners from new and is in very good condition. It shows just 4,487 miles (7,221 km) on the odometer and comes with two copies of the original owner's manual, one of which is signed by Carroll Shelby himself. For car collectors, this is a unique opportunity to own a piece of Carroll Shelby's legacy.
After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors. Full profile
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