Just in time to celebrate Christmas.
What is Shelby American doing? It will take nearly a month for us to discover the truth, but it appears that another Shelby American Mustang is in development. We have a teaser photo from Shelby on social media that shows a current-gen Mustang with a cover and promises of something extra December 15.
This is literally all Shelby has to say right now. It’s also the first time that we’ve heard such information from the Las Vegas-based tuner. We are open to all possibilities. This announcement may not be about that vehicle.
Shelby enthusiasts who are devoted to the brand know that December 15 has some history. It was also the date in 2009 that Shelby American, the former Shelby Automobiles, became Shelby American. We won’t go into too much detail, but Shelby saw some turmoil in the late 1990s and early2000s before Shelby Mustangs were officially returned to Shelby in 2006 with the Hertz GT-H.
We doubt that it was just coincidence that the date of December 15, 2009 was chosen for a new announcement given its significance. The news could also be corporate-oriented. However, that would be incredibly boring and Shelby isn’t known for being boring. Here’s a theory that has a little more pizzazz.
In 2009, the Shelby American announcement was made in conjunction with the 45th anniversary the 1965 Shelby GT350. Ford’s GT350 production ended in 2020. But Shelby may make its own version. This is where things get confusing, as the modern Shelby Mustangs (the GT350/GT500) were built entirely by Ford with Shelby branding. Shelby also tweaks special edition models like the Super Snake and Signature Edition. With the GT500 at Ford and the Mach 1 holding station, it could be a great time to get a Shelby-modified Shelby GT350.
It’s all great and all, but there’s one theory that’s more important than the rest. The GT500KR returned in 2007 and Shelby offered a GT500KR with more horsepower, tweaked suspension and a presence that was so strong it was named KITT in the failed Knight Rider reboot. Ford announced that it would drop the aggressive carbon fiber handling package from its GT500 model. Maybe it’s the new GT500KR?