Though Carroll Shelby passed away a decade and a half ago, he remains a motorsport icon through and through, with the race car driver and Le Mans-winner-turned-car-designer having left an indelible mark on the automotive world over the 89 years of his life. As such, the vast majority of the automotive projects the Texas native worked on now command steep prices — even more so for vehicles formerly owned by him, like this 1969 Shelby GT500 Fastback that’s due to cross the auction block in the coming months.
Sold new by Shelby Ford in California right after leaving the factory, this late ‘60s GT500 Fastback was previously owned by none other than Carroll Shelby, plus it’s being sold with an included Shelby Certificate of Authenticity and a title from the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust. In addition to previously belonging to the late automotive designer, this ’69 Shelby specimen was also formerly owned by Academy Award-winning director Jackie Cooper. More recently, this Fastback variant was treated to a comprehensive ground-up restoration, returning the more-than-half-century-old pony car to its former glory.
Sitting on Goodyear Eagle GTII White-letter tires, the exterior of the car sports a red paint job, a rear spoiler, a Shelby grille badge, GT500 decals, black race stripes, “Cobra Jet 428” and “Shelby” badging, and a hood with a trio of intakes and a pair of exhaust ports. Under the hood, the Shelby packs a 7.0-liter Cobra Jet 428 V8 that’s been mated to a C6 automatic transmission and a Traction-Lok differential. The Candy Apple Red and black interior of the car also features an original tachometer, a Philco AM radio, a Sport deck rear seat, tinted windows, a three-arm Shelby steering wheel, and a Cobra-branded shifter. The Shelby model also comes equipped with power front disc brakes as well as power steering.
This Carroll Shelby-owned 1969 Shelby GT500 Fastback is scheduled to cross the auction block at Mecum’s upcoming Kissimmee 2023 Sale in Florida beginning January 4th and running through the 15th. This vehicle is also sold with an original owner’s manual and an included Marti Report.
