Since the Mustang was introduced back in the 1960s, no name has been better associated with the ultimate American performance car than that of Mr. Carroll Shelby.In the modern age of the Mustang, Shelby’s name because closely connected with Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) thanks to the modern GT500 and while the world said goodbye to the automotive legend last year, his name lives on through the many Mustangs on the road today.
Mustang Alley at the 2013 Woodward Dream Cruise had a special area for some of the best examples of the latest efforts by Shelby and SVT.Included in the gallery below are some of the most powerful Ford Mustangs produced in the last 10 years – specifically the Shelby GT500.While the modern GT500 Mustang is the model by which the Shelby name is best known for younger gearheads, other models in this group include the Shelby GT, the Shelby GT-H Rent-A-Racer and a bunch of 2003-2004 Terminator Cobra Mustangs that helped secure the SVT name as the one to beat in the high performance street car world.
While the Terminator might not wear the Shelby name, the 2003 and 2004 Ford Mustang Cobra paved the way for the return of the Shelby GT500 and with the modern 662hp monster – SVT helps the Shelby name appear on the most powerful production car sold by an American automaker.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
