The Final 1999 Shelby Series 1 Convertible Sets Off to Mecum Glendale
No. 249 of 249 produced
4,645 Miles
Engine 4.0L
Trans 6-Speed
Color Centennial Silver
Interior Black/Gray
The only car ever designed and engineered by Carroll Shelby from a clean sheet of paper and built from ground up
No. 249 of 249 produced by Shelby American, with dash plaque
Carroll Shelby signed carbon fiber engine cover
4.0L DOHC 32-valve V-8 engine
ZF 6-speed manual transmission
Centennial Silver exterior
Two-tone Silver and Black interior
Carbon fiber dash surround
Air conditioning
Power windows
Power steering
Dynamic suspension
Front and rear drilled and slotted power disc brakes
Factory 5-spoke wheels
The only car Carroll Shelby designed and engineered from a clean sheet of paper and built from the ground up, the Shelby Series 1 embodied Shelby’s late-life dream to produce a modern “sport car” that would be as impactful in its time as the Cobra had been in the early 1960s. In contrast to the already-dated original, the Series 1’s basic design brief was thoroughly contemporary, with a heat-treated 6061 boxed aluminum tube chassis, advanced aluminum honeycomb forming its floorpan, rear bulkhead and rocker sections, sophisticated upper and lower A-arm suspension with rocker-actuated coilovers, generous drilled, slotted and vented disc brakes, and aggressively curvaceous composite carbon fiber and fiberglass bodywork clearly inspired by the original 427SC.
On paper, the Series 1 had it all, and with Oldsmobile’s Aurora DOHC V-8 Indy Racing League engine combining with a ZF 6-speed manual transmission for motive power, it showed promise with scorching acceleration and instantly responsive handling; in actual execution, the Aurora V-8 was detuned to meet government regulations, production issues drove the proposed MSRP skyward, and, in the end, just 249 were produced. Yet, time has been kind to the Series 1, not only as the final piece of Shelby’s life legacy, but also as an outstanding American sports car in its own right—one fully deserving of the Shelby provenance.
Serial No. 249 of the 249 produced by Shelby American, this Series 1 represents arguably the most refined level of development achieved in the model’s brief production life. Finished in Oldsmobile Centennial Silver with a two-tone black and silver leather interior, No. 249 is presented in impressive condition, reflecting its odometer reading of just 4,645 miles. The Aurora 4.0L DOHC 32-valve V-8 engine, ZF 6-speed manual transmission and Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires on factory Shelby five-spoke modular wheels are signature Series 1 features, which also include this example’s carbon fiber dash surround and trim, air conditioning and power windows. Perhaps most important of all, Series 1 No. 249 will always enjoy a unique position as one of the 249 that were the only clean-sheet sports cars Shelby built in his lifetime
GLENDALE 2023 MAR 28-APR 1
