Garth Brooks’ Old 2011 Shelby GT350 Is a Rare Collectable with a Unique Past

First modern Shelby GT350 Mustang was once owned by the country music icon before going to the winner of a poker tournament.

In 2011, the Shelby GT350 Mustang came roaring back from the dead with 624 horsepower. Unlike the GT350 that you can buy today, the 2011 version was a post-title package from Shelby American, so you would buy a new Ford Mustang GT and ship it to the Shelby facility in Nevada for the GT350 conversion. The process was pricey, leading to low production numbers, but the results were incredible. It was one of the quickest and best handling Shelby Mustangs to date when they were new, but even by today’s standards, this is still a solid performance car.

While flipping through the cars listed for sale on the Hemmings website, we came across one of these 2011 GT350s, but it is special. This is the first car sold to the public, and Mr. Garth Brooks was the first owner, but he never drove it.

2011 Shelby GT350 Mustang

The 2011 Shelby American GT350 began with a 2011 Ford Mustang GT. The owner could have the car shipped directly to the Vegas Shelby American facility when they purchased it, or they could ship the car there themselves. Once there, an extensive build upgraded just about every aspect of the car.

Under the hood, a Ford Racing supercharger package lifts the output to 624 horsepower. Since this is one of the early cars, it has the same Eibach suspension setup as the previous GT500 Supersnake builds. The later builds had Ford Racing suspension systems. The package also adds Baer front and rear brakes, a Borla exhaust system, custom Cragar wheels and a full body kit. The body kit includes a unique front fascia, splitter, hood, brake cooling ducts, tail light panel and rear fascia, complete with center-exit exhaust.

Every 2011 Shelby GT350 was painted Performance White with Guardsman Blue racing stripes and 45^th Anniversary badges.

Car Number 2

The first 2011 Shelby GT350 Mustang is in the company’s museum in Las Vegas. The second 2011 GT350 built was the first sold to the public, and this is that car. Garth Brooks bought the car before it was built, but before he took delivery, he auctioned it off for Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation charity. The car sold at that auction for $200,000 to a businessman who bought the car to use as a prize for a poke tournament. The current seller of this car is the person who won it at that poker tournament.

Since being bought by Garth Brooks, immediately sold to an unnamed businessman and gifted to another person who won a poker tournament, this 2011 Shelby GT350 has been driven for just 400 miles. It is in like-new condition because it has yet to be broken-in. Best of all, this car has the autograph of Carroll Shelby, who has since passed away.

Every 2011 Shelby GT350 Mustang is an impressive machine, thanks to the aftermarket body, engine and chassis upgrades. This car’s history makes it even more impressive, being the first modern GT350 sold by Shelby, to Garth Brooks of all people. That history is one of the reasons why it is listed for $169,000, but for the right collector, this is a unique piece for someone with deep enough pockets.

Photos: Hemmings

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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