Research proved that the car was a Shelby Automotive Pre-Production Engineering and Marketing Development car. One of just four.

It started with a trip to a car show. And it ended with a restoration of a very valuable Shelby Mustang GT500 Convertible prototype. This is the story of a very cool barn find brought home in a horse trailer.

In 2014 at the French Lock Concours d’Elegance in Indiana, four Mustang enthusiasts were chatting about a car that had shown up near Detroit. A 1969 Shelby GT500 convertible. But at that point, it was little more than a chat.

Over the next few months, the group kept in touch about the car. Until in March 2015, Tony King got word that the car was available. He was on the road at the time, but a quick change of plans rerouted him to pick up Jason and Scott Billups and that Ed Meyer, the last part of the previous chats, would be willing to skip his 60th birthday party to help pick up the car.

They looked the car over and decided to bring it home. They loaded it into King’s horse trailer because the spur of the moment trip didn’t leave time for alternate accommodations.

the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype

It was a running and driving Shelby, with just 7,579 miles on the odometer. The condition of the top and the dash showed that the mileage was likely correct. But it had been painted. And it clearly had mechanical work done on it. They found out it had been stored under a tarp from 1977 to 2014 and it was having some issues with being resurrected.

Some research showed that this was a prototype. Which helped explain why it was the only 1969-1970 Shelby finished in this paint colour. It also explained the mechanical work.

The prototypes were driven hard. Extremely hard. Parts would break, but that was the point. Then they’d be swapped for better parts. The cars were also used to test out other potential Mustang upgrades.

This one had some unique bits. Like functional front and rear power windows, not yet an option on the production car. And evidence of both black and white interiors in the past.

the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype

Some more of the signifiers were the tubular roll bar, a working side scoop on the left rear and a fake one on the right, and a 120 mph speedometer.

Their research proved that the car was a Shelby Automotive Pre-Production Engineering and Marketing Development car. One of just four.

It was also the first Mustang built in Dearborn to be converted to Shelby spec and the first 42 CJ and first convertible Mustang built at the plant.

So what do you do with a special car like that? After all, with it seeing 428 cubic inch V8s as well as a 351, plus the multiple interiors and later-added power windows, how do you know where to start the restoration. More importantly, how do you finish it?

Very carefully. Every step was documented. You need to when even the fibreglass pieces are one of one. Hand laid instead of production moulded. And then there were details like the wheel caps that were actually from a 1968 Cougar XR-7-G, not Ford production pieces.

Now, the car has been fully restored. As authentic as possible. With bucketloads of history and documentation. For the full story, with even more detail, check out the Ford Performance blog.

the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
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the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
the tale of a lost and found shelby pony prototype
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