Oftentimes, performance cars seemingly have their reviews already written before being driven. In other words, expectations are often so high for sporting models that certain road test editors might incorrectly predict just how good car is going to be. The Shelby Series 1 had all the hallmarks of being a champion, especially with Carroll Shelby’s direct involvement in its development. However, the actual driving experience wasn’t as special as originally hoped, which is why you see examples like this one pop up for sale here on eBay.
That’s not to say it wasn’t a wild car to own. But the Shelby involvement wasn’t as intense as perhaps originally hoped, as Carroll’s health was in decline at the time so who knows how intimately connected to the Series 1 he was. Other concerns about the final execution came down to the handling, which was equal parts unpredictable and also not highly engaging, with road test editors at the time struggling to find a sweet spot where the car was exciting to drive in anger but also not incredibly challenging to get comfortable with. At the time, it seemed like it was difficult to do either. The car certainly had an impressive resume of features and traits, but they didn’t seem to add up to a sports car that was as comfortable as slipping on a pair of old leather gloves.
A carbon fiber and fiberglass structure, huge Speedline wheels, massive brakes, a coil-over suspension with remote reservoirs, and a curb weight well under 2,700 pounds – all of that sounds like home run material, right? The unfortunate aspect of all this was that the close working relationship with GM meant that not only was the engine sourced from its corporate partner, but so were the interior bits, leading to perceptions of low build quality. Climate controls, the stereo system, instrument cluster, and more all came from the parts bins, and decreased the vibe of it being a truly special car – along with a fairly high price tag that didn’t align with the perceived quality of the interior materials.
The engine seemed like a step in the right direction, sourcing the Oldsmobile Aurora V8 as the powerplant of choice, which achieved two important goals: for one, the Aurora V8 was being used in the Indy Racing League series, giving it the cache of a proven competition motor, and second, it wouldn’t be perceived as a threat to the long-standing performance car hero, the Chevrolet Corvette (how many times have we seen that story play out?) The engine was supposed to deliver 350 b.h.p.; it arrived with 320, and GM wouldn’t let Shelby’s engineers mess with the ECUs to extract more power. Still, its striking looks, limited production, and close ties to Shelby will always make it a unique, modern muscle car collectible, even if it remains somewhat misunderstood. Have you ever driven a Series 1?
A beautiful car, hampered by the GM bean counters.
Wow, who’d like half hour behind the wheel ✋️
There is many of these with crazy low miles, this has only 526 miles. Never liked that hood setup.
Shows how ignorance can be bliss, I was totally unaware this car existed. First one I saw was on auction TV, and had no idea what it was until the little name and bids came up. Shelby was a sharp guy, even in his declined health. He knew his original Cobras were extremely dated, and this is what younger folks wanted. Personally, I think it’s hideous, and a phony plastic rendition of one of the greatest cars of all time. I think Shelby knew that, but hey, heart transplants aren’t cheap. He received a new heart in 1990 ( a kidney from his son in 1996) and was one of the longest living heart transplant patients, even though, I had a great cousin that got a new heart in the 70s, and lived a lot longer than Shelby did, but we never heard of that.
Like all his cars, except maybe the K cars, I’m sure it rivals the European jobs, something Shelby was known for. I wonder how he really felt about this car?
Interesting car. I’ve never even heard of it. Cantilevered front suspension with the sway bar on top, heat extractor hood, very cool! For the money I would just go with a C8.
I will always cherish the 30 minutes that I shared with Mr. Shelby. (No one else around) This was probably 30 years ago. He was very cordial and friendly. When our conversation was over and I walked away. I realized that we never spoke about cars!
I had a HS English teacher who was single, and while she didn’t go into details, she said she met Shelby somewhere in Vegas, and he pursuaded her into a ride in his 427 Cobra. She said, she didn’t know how fast they were going, but said his hat never came off his head. Later, they did get stopped for speeding.
Did you talk about chili? Seriously.
Despite having the Shelby provenance and a marketing build up, it simply was not that great of a sports car. Drove one and you will see what I am talking about. When you see one in person, it’s a lot “wider” than you would expect. As mentioned, the parts bin of GM parts were so noticeable, temp controls, stereo, just gave it a cheap feel.
It was a great effort that unfortunately came up woefully short. As the fascinating book on the Shelby Series 1 would say, it was “Snake Bit”.
Reminds me of a TVR.
First time I ever read negative comments on one of these treasures. Its the only car that Shelby built from the ground up, which was his lifelong desire.
No, we talked about the SEMA show, which is where I met him. The first SEMA show in Las Vegas. (They had previously been in Long Beach CA )
Thanks, just curious what you would talk to him about if not cars.
I remember seeing his chili mix back then and wondering if that was a big part of his life.