A Shelby by Any Other Name: S650 GT500 May Ditch Shelby Name
According to a recent report, the Ford team may drop the iconic Shelby name from the S650 GT500 to attract younger buyers.
Putting my old man hat on now. Bah! These kids today, they don’t know anything about history. How could the younger generation not know all about Caroll Shelby? OK, boomer rant mode off. There are plenty of young car enthusiasts that know all about Shelby and the mark he made on the automotive world. However, according to a story reported by Ford Authority, it is possible that the new S650 GT500 may drop the Shelby moniker. And one of the reasons the Ford brass is considering such a move is to attract a younger demographic to the world of the most powerful Mustang models. Apparently using the name of a man that was born over one hundred years ago may not be the best way to do so. Even if that man is Carroll freakin’ Shelby.
But before anyone gets bent out of shape about Ford potentially dropping the Shelby name from the new GT500, we need to emphasize the word potentially. The Ford brain trust is kicking around the idea but that certainly doesn’t mean that it is a sure thing. However, we do find it quite interesting that they would even consider dropping the name.
S650 Mustang Shelby GT500
We know a S650 Mustang Shelby GT500 is on the way. We don’t have many details yet around power output and so forth. But test mules have been spotted for a while now. So, it will be here eventually, and it will undoubtedly be a performance monster. It will also undoubtedly be expensive. The S550 GT500 started out close to $80K and that was before options and greedy dealer markups. Many sold for well over six figures. Most younger Mustang enthusiasts don’t have that kind of money to drop on a new car. So, changing the name for that reason might not make the most sense.
Other Name Changes
Ford has already introduced the Dark Horse model to the S650 Mustang range. That name is not exactly steeped in rich Ford tradition but that doesn’t seem to be hurting sales any. The Dark Horse is an incredible Mustang. Ford could have called it the Dandelion if it still had a 500 horsepower Coyote V8, and giant Brembo brakes people would have snatched it up. Of course, that is a bit of an exaggeration. Ford fans were none too pleased when the EV crossover Mach-E was called a Mustang. So, there are limits. And we are sure that Ford is carefully considering everything before making a final decision.
Your Thoughts
What do you think Ford should do? Would it bother you if the GT500 lost the Shelby name? Would they be throwing away a big part of their heritage? Or is it time for something fresh and new? Maybe calling the GT500 something else will resonate with younger buyers. And younger buyers are critical to keep the brand alive. Head to The Mustang Source forums and let us know your thoughts.
Images: Ford
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