February 3rd, 2021 Chris Phillip

For 1967, Carroll Shelby took his monster Mustang to the next level with significant styling changes in addition to the drivetrain and suspension modifications that had made the Mustang Shelby G.T. 350 so successful. Ford designer Chuck McHose conjured up an aggressive front and rear treatment, complete with functional aerodynamics to keep the powerhouse pony planted at speed while cooling the brakes and feeding air to the Cobra LeMans 428, nomenclature loosely linking the passenger-car mill to the purpose-built 427 found in Shelby's AC roadsters and his GT40s, which would deprive Enzo Ferrari of a championship in that year’s French classic.

Early 1967 G.T. 500s featured auxiliary brake and turn signals in the sail-panel scoops, high-beam headlamps set in the center of the grille and a four-point roll bar. These were deleted or scaled back from production as a result of escalating costs or regulation, while the available inertia-locking shoulder-belt system was a feature years ahead of its time. Other options like automatic transmission, air conditioning, and real wood trim may seem out of place in a street-legal race car, but for its combination of muscular looks, big-block performance, safety features, innovation and rarity, the 1967 G.T. 500 makes our list. Plus, it was Carroll's own personal favorite Shelby Mustang.

Thanks to Marc Allen and Hunt Palmer-Ball for their assistance in the preparation of this article.

About the photo: This 1967 Shelby Mustang G.T. 500 went home with super-lucky winner Tim Millard in the 2012 Mustang Dream Giveaway

Story by Scott A. Scheel

Photography courtesy of Dream Giveaway Garage