The Shelby Series 1 is a car that had high aspirations and as the result of many unfortunate events never gained traction. Despite the trials it faced, Shelby managed to build 249 examples. This one is going up for auction and it might be the closest thing to a new one that you’ll find for sale anytime soon.
These rare sports cars don’t trade hands too often but that’s not really because of any groundbreaking performance or power. Since Shelby made so few they’re already hard to find. On top of that, they’re very unique and one of the few cars that isn’t badged with a major automotive manufacturer at all.
Granted, it was made in connection with Oldsmobile but even that wasn’t the partnership that Shelby initially expected. Nevertheless, the Series 1 leverages a 4.0-liter V8 dubbed the Aurora. It makes 320 hp (238 kW) and 290 lb-ft (392 Nm) of torque and sends it to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. Some were made with superchargers but this isn’t one of them.
Read: Ford Shelby F-250 Super Baja Is The Closest You’ll Get To A Diesel-Powered, Super Duty Raptor
That shouldn’t take the shine off of this one though as it features just 2,800 miles on the odometer and looks like it’s been babied its whole life. The interior is very clean, the black soft-top appears to be in outstanding condition, and the seats are free of thick creases in the leather. While the interior and exterior of this car are interesting, it’s what’s under the skin that makes the Series 1 even more special.
The body is carbon fiber but there’s a catch. When Shelby painted it, the paint soaked into the weave so it had to use body filler on top of it to make the surface smooth. The frame is an advanced aluminum structure with in-bound suspension and A-arms on all four corners. It might never have caught on as a huge sales success but there’s little doubt that it’s a true performance car through and through.
The winning buyer on Bring A Trailer also gets something that isn’t necessarily common on an auction of this sort, the original Goodyear Eagle F1 tires. Long since out of date they do appear to have decent tread on them. We still wouldn’t ever risk using them though.
