Shelby Centennial Edition Mustang Celebrates Carroll Shelby’s 100th in Style
New, 750 HP Shelby Centennial Edition Mustang arrives just in time for what would have been the late legend’s 100th birthday.
While there are many that have helped make the automotive enthusiast world what it is today, few can measure up to the late, great Carroll Shelby. Making his mark both in the world of motorsports and on the road-going machines that many of us own and drive today, Shelby was a giant in the automotive industry whose departure from this world back in 2012 left a void that can never be filled. Regardless, his legend will undoubtedly live on forever, and now, the company that bears his name has revealed a very special model celebrating 100 years since Carroll’s birth on January 11, 1923 – the Shelby Centennial Edition Mustang.
Fittingly, just 100 examples of the Shelby Centennial Edition Mustang will be built in total, each for the 2023 model year – the last for the S550 generation pony car before the all-new S650 debuts this coming summer for the 2024 model year. Based on the V8-powered GT, the Centennial Edition Mustang can be had in either fastback or convertible form, with a manual or automatic transmission, and buyers can also choose any stock Ford exterior color they like, too.
Though it shares quite a bit in common with Shelby’s legendary Super Snake, the Centennial Edition is unique in that it sports Centennial badging and stripes and Le Mans over-the-top satin black vinyl striping on the outside, as well as the same design appearing on the door sills, headrests, floor mats, and various other places scattered throughout the interior and exterior. A set of satin black 20-inch Shelby wheels wrapped with meaty 305/30/20 tires completes the rather aggressive look.
Power for the new Shelby Centennial Edition Mustang comes from the GT’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8, though in this case, it’s been treated to a Whipple supercharger and tune that lifts output to a cool 750 horsepower. Breathing through a vented hood and expelling gases through a Borla exhaust, the V8 sends all of that power to the rear wheels via fortified underpinnings with upgrades including beefier springs, sway bars, and adjustable camber/caster plates, while Ford Performance Brembo front brake calipers help slow it down.
The price for all of this goodness starts out at $49,995, not including the donor car, with production scheduled to begin in Q2 of this year. However, it also comes with some other cool gear, including a Black Stetson hat just like the one Carroll famous wore, as well as a Team Shelby membership and a commemorative Shelby Centennial Book.
“This new, limited-edition car celebrates Carroll Shelby and honors his many achievements,” said Vince LaViolette, Shelby American Vice President of Operations and Chief of R&D. “To properly honor him required us to build a car that was truly born to run. Our new Carroll Shelby Centennial Edition Mustang is a well-balanced car that is far more than just a horsepower upgrade. We also sharpened the handling and enhanced the styling of the world-class 5.0L V8 Mustang GT. It delivers all the performance that Carroll required to have his name on a car. We’re so confident that he’d approve that we are throwing in a black Stetson like the one he wore, with each car.”
Photos: Shelby American
Join the Mustang Source Forums now!
