Toys of Jackalope - 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500

A blend of sports car and muscle car, the 1967 Shelby GT 500 satisfyed a maturing taste for high performance. With the introduction of the 1967 models, regular Mustangs could get a 320-bhp 390-cid four-barrel V-8. Ford factory tuner Carroll Shelby, naturally, went further. His GT 350 retained its 289-cid V-8 with its 306-bhp rating. And a new model, the 1967 Shelby GT 500, got a reworked 428-cid "Police Interceptor."

Shelby added the cast-aluminum medium-rise intake manifold from Ford's 427, twin 600-cfm Holley four-barrel carburetors, and other tweaks for a conservative rating of 355 bhp. During manufacture or through dealers, a handful of 1967 Shelby GT 500s were equipped with Ford's near race-ready 427-cid V-8.

The 1967 GT 500 had a four-speed manual transmission, with axle ratios ranging from 3.50:1 to 4.11:1. Instead of true competition-grade underpinnings, the suspension was a fortified version of the Mustang GT's, with standard front disc brakes and E70X15 tires. Also gone were the two-seat cabins and standard racing harnesses of the original GT 350. All 1967 Shelby GT 500s had Mustang GT-level interior trim; air conditioning and power steering were new factory options. An 8000-rpm tach, 140-mph speedometer, and padded roll bar, however, remained Shelby standards.