1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition Heads to Auction With Enticing Features

This is a real-deal, officially licensed 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition, meaning that it’ll likely sell for eye-watering money. 

It was only a few months ago that Shelby Trust won its lawsuit against Denice Halicki, the widow of H.B. Halicki, who wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film Gone in 60 Seconds, among others. Halicki held onto the famous Mustang Eleanor trademark from that flick for a number of years, suing companies and individuals that tried to replicate its unique look, even going after Shelby, though she ultimately lost that legal battle. Regardless, there are still some authorized Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition models out there for the taking, and this one is set to be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction next month.

This 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition was built by the folks at Scott Lea Hotrods back in 2021, and carries the property rights, copyrights, and trademark to call it a Gone in 60 Seconds Eleanor, plus it includes a Certificate of Authenticity from Denice Halicki. The dash even bears the signature of the legendary George Barris, while the console is signed by Carroll Shelby himself, flanked by the “Go-Baby-Go” button and nitrous switches featured in the movie.

On the outside, one will find a full-blown Ford Mustang Eleanor body kit that mimics the movie car’s appearances, along with LED headlights and fog lamps, GT500 taillights, spun aluminum side mirrors, functional rear brake ducts, a fuel door, and knock-off ET wheels. The whole thing is coated in Pepper Gray Metallic with painted stripes, making it look just like the movie version.

Pop the hood, and one will see that this Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition is powered by a very modern powerplant – a 427 cubic-inch Ford Performance V8 fitted with a FiTech fuel injection system, ZZ aluminum heads, headers, and various dress-up bits that make it look more like a vintage mill. It’s mated to a Tremec Magnum XL six-speed manual transmission and a 9-inch rear differential, while suspension upgrades include coilovers, a four-link rear, tubular A-arms, and four-wheel disc brakes to go along with power steering.

Add it all up, and this 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition is certainly a formidable package, one that looks old yet drives and performs like a brand new pony car. The only problem, of course, is that it’s quite likely to sell for huge money at auction – these cars cost well into the six-figure range new, and we don’t doubt that it will reach that mark easily when it crosses the block in a few weeks.

Photos: Barrett-Jackson

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.