20 Cars From Shelby's Private Collection Are Up for Sale

Being responsible for some of the world’s best and most desirable cars, it should come as no surprise that Carroll Shelby had a pretty great car collection.

But the quality and diversity of the collection, a part of which will go across the auction block at Bonham’s June 2 and 3 Greenwich Concours D’Elegance Auction in Connecticut, is amazing all the same.

The auction will feature everything from the Mustangs that you might expect, to some neat later model Shelby Dodges, and even on to some really fascinating things, like a Chrysler Airflow and Shelby Aurora CAN-AM car from 1997.

Built for a CAN-AM spec series, the Shelby Aurora cars were designed as a cheap way to get into racing. The cars could only be repaired at the Shelby workshop, ensuring that they were all identical and allowing driver skill to be the only determining factor for success.

Originally fitted with a V6 engine from Dodge, the actual race cars made a healthy 255 hp. More than enough hustle. But this one, a 1-of-1 concept, bears a V8 making 500 hp. Intended as the next step for truly talented (and brave) drivers, it has largely lain dormant since 1997 when it was made.

SEE ALSO: Could the 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Pack 772 HP?

Shelby was always into getting people into race cars and the car that his name is perhaps most closely tied to is the AC Cobra. This one isn’t an original, but is the next best thing: a continuation model. In the late ‘80s, a series of Cobras made from new, but faithful chassis and fitted with actual vintage parts (while supplies lasted).

This one was initially a gift for the 1999 Playmate of the Year, Heather Kozar, but she sold it back to Shelby, and it has been in his collection ever since. Made with aluminum body panels and a 428ci V8 sending power through a top loader 4-speed transmission, it’s expected to sell for between $100,000 and $125,000.

The other car that Shelby’s name is synonymous with, though, is, of course, the Mustang. This ’68 GT 350 is a menace in Raven Black. Originally sent to Theodore Robins Ford of Costa Mesa, the car was sold in era to Carl Trautman, of California. Eventually coming back home to stay with Shelby, the car is in excellent condition and as such is expected to sell for $80,000-$100,000.

Not all of the cars bear Shelby’s name, though. Some just interested him, like this 1983 De Tomaso Pantera. Designed by Lamborghini’s Gianpaolo Dallara and endowed with a Ford 351 Cleveland V8, the Pantera is an ideal mix of Italian design and American muscle.

Shelby bought the car, but in the true supercar form only put 7,350 miles on the clock. Thanks to its owner (and its low miles) the car is expected to sell for $80,000-$100,000.

See the whole collection, along with some very well written blurbs about the cars, at Bonhams auction page.

A version of this story originally appeared on All Ford Mustangs

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