Shelby Series 1
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Shelby Series 1 is a high-performance roadster designed by
Carroll Shelby Carroll Hall Shelby (January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012) was an American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. Shelby was involved with the AC Cobra and Ford Mustang, Mustang for Ford Motor Company. With driver Ken Miles, he dev ...
and produced by
Shelby American Shelby American, Inc. is an American high performance vehicle, high performance automobile company founded by driver Carroll Shelby. The Shelby American name has been used by several legally distinct corporations founded by Shelby since his ori ...
. It was powered by
Oldsmobile Oldsmobile (formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors) was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produc ...
's 4.0-litre '' L47 Aurora'' V8 engine. Unveiled at the 1997
Los Angeles Auto Show The Los Angeles Auto Show, also known as the LA Auto Show, is an auto show held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is open to the public for ten days, filling of exhibit space. Since 2006 ...
, it was intended to be a modern day reinterpretation of the original Shelby AC Cobra. Despite initial claims that the car was entirely built in-house, much of the production run was overseen by
General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
with many of the components used from their parts bin, including the powerplant.


Development

Prior to production of the Series 1, significant costs were incurred in testing and certification required to conform to 1999 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. In early 2000, Shelby announced a retroactive price increase but were forced to backtrack within a few weeks. Another developmental issue was the car's soft top; these were not attaching properly and required reengineering after the first sixty-plus cars had already been built. Thirty cars had been delivered without convertible tops and technicians were sent to install them at buyers' homes. A production run of 500 cars had been announced, but in total 249 of the Series 1 were constructed by Shelby American, all as 1999 models. During production, Venture Corporation purchased Shelby American. The purchase included the rights to the Series 1 model, but not the rights to produce the "Continuation Series" Shelby Cobras. In 2004, after a subsequent bankruptcy by Venture Corporation, Carroll Shelby's new company Shelby Automobiles, Inc. purchased the Series 1 assets for pennies on the dollar. Included in the asset purchase were sufficient components to produce several more complete Series 1s. Because the 1999 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards certificate had expired, and the cost to re-certify the car was prohibitive, all Series 1's produced after that date were completed as "component cars" and delivered with no engine or transmission. Those "component car" models built in 2005 are identified with a seven digit vehicle identification number (VIN) and were designated with a CSX5000 series serial number. The original 249 were production cars with a seventeen digit VIN. A lot of the interior components came from
General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
, such as a
Monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
premium sound system, an A/M-F/M
cassette player A cassette deck is a type of tape machine for playing and recording audio cassettes that does not have a built-in power amplifier or speakers, and serves primarily as a Transport (recording), transport. It can be a part of an automotive entertai ...
and
CD player A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital audio, digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such a ...
radio from
Buick Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...
, an instrument cluster and climate controls from
Pontiac Pontiac most often refers to: * Pontiac (Odawa leader) ( – 1769), Native American war chief *Pontiac (automobile), a former General Motors brand Pontiac may also refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apo ...
, and a few other parts.


Technical specifications

The Shelby Series 1 was powered by a 4.0 L (244 cu in) DOHC V8 engine from Oldsmobile’s Aurora line, producing approximately 320 horsepower (239 kW) and 290 lb⋅ft (393 N⋅m) of torque in its standard naturally aspirated configuration. Two upgrade options were available from Shelby American: the X50 performance package and a supercharged variant. The first option, called X50 cost US$20,150. It was supposed to add an additional to the engine's power output. The second option included the addition of a supercharger costing US$35,100 which increased the power output up to . Shelby American Records show only 11 cars were built with both X50 and the supercharged options. Although the X50 package came up short of its advertised gains, both options worked well together pushing the power output to just over . The X50 optioned cars required a US$4,160 2 piston brake package upgrade. While factory supercharged cars were additionally required to add an US$11,050 4 piston brake package upgrade and were additionally fitted with a special dual disc clutch system. The Series 1 came with all creature comforts of a luxury performance car. It had
power steering Power steering is a system for reducing a driver's effort to turn a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, by using a power source to assist steering. Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver can ...
, power disc brakes, factory air conditioning, power windows, and an AM/FM/CD audio system. The convertible top folded away out of sight in a compartment located behind the cabin. Some cars were sold as a true open top with no convertible tops. The Series 1 had dual wishbone suspension with coil-over remote reservoir dampers mounted inboard, and actuated by rocker arms. The engine was mounted completely behind the front axle and drove a drive shaft supported in a
torque tube A torque tube system is a power transmission and braking technology that involves a stationary housing around the drive shaft, often used in automobiles with a front engine and rear drive. The torque tube consists of a large diameter stationary ...
that spun a 6 speed ZF trans-axle specially modified for the Series 1. The chassis was made of extruded and formed 6061 aluminum. It was welded together and then post-heat-treated for maximum strength throughout. Then aluminum honeycomb panels specially designed were bonded into the floor boards and rocker panels for added structure and stiffness. The body panels were carbon fiber and fiberglass laminate. The engine, torque-tube, trans-axle, and damper mounts were all rubber-isolated from the frame. The supercharged prototypes had an engine power output of and of torque. The Goodyear Eagle F1 tires specially made for the car, were based on an IMSA racing rain tires that had been used for the show car. Performance figures include a 0-60 mph (0–96 km/h) acceleration time of 4.4 seconds and a quarter mile time of 12.8 seconds at . With a curb weight of approximately 1,202 kg (2,650 lb) and lightweight construction using aluminum and carbon fiber, the Shelby Series 1 was capable of reaching a top speed of around 170 mph (274 km/h).


Other features

*Wheels front: 18"x10" *Wheels rear: 18"x12" *Tires front: 265/40 ZR-18 *Tires rear: 315/40 ZR-18


Series II

After the bankruptcy of Venture Corporation, new investors approached Carroll Shelby with plans to build a Series II (a.k.a.: "Series 2"). The design was much like the Series I, but with restyled bumpers, headlamp assemblies, improved powertrain, more horsepower and other refinements. Three prototype Series II’s were built for introduction at the 2006 Concorso Italiano in Monterey, CA. They were introduced at a price of $225,000 for the production models. Orders with deposits were placed for a limited production run. All but a few production slots sold out in a relatively short time. After the prototypes were completed and before production began, more restrictive
US DOT The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the president of the United States and ...
emission and safety standards became law, pushing the cost of Series II homologation well beyond what was originally anticipated. With the significant changes and additional testing required to meet new standards, the project ran out of money and was put on hold. Over $5,000,000 US was invested into the Series 2 project, but only the three Series II prototypes were built. The Series II project was relaunched in 2024, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Series 1. Only 10 cars are set to be produced, with a choice of three engine options; a 7.0-litre 427 Windsor V8, a 7.3-litre ‘Godzilla’ V8
Ford Performance Ford Performance (formerly Ford Racing) is the high-performance division of the Ford Motor Company and the multinational name used for its motorsport and racing activity. History * 1896 – Henry Ford reached a top speed of 20 mph in his ...
crate engine, or an all-electric powertrain. Unlike the previous Series II concept, this version features a hardtop roof. Prices begin at £305,000. File:Paris Motor Show 2018, Paris (1Y7A1640).jpg, Series 2 with a brushed aluminium body File:Paris Motor Show 2018, Paris (1Y7A1646).jpg, Rear view of Series 2


References


External links


Fantasycars.com

Supercars Site

Car and Driver- Shelby Series 1 Road Test


{{Shelby American Shelby vehicles, Series 1 Roadsters