This Series 1 was a test prototype, built at Shelby American’s Las Vegas factory in 1999. It was one of a few prototypes built for testing and showing, a prelude to the run of just 249 production models. The car was bought fromCarroll Shelby himself and has just 2,600 miles on the clock.
Under the hood is a modified Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0-liter V8 with 320hp coupled to a C5Chevrolet Corvette six-speed manual transaxle, but what’s really interesting is its extruded aluminum frame with aluminum honeycomb reinforcement panels and carbon fiber and fiberglass laminate body panels, a first for an American car. The interior, however, looks like a mash-up of various 1990s General Motors products. This particular car was apparently used to test and validate various parts for production car use.
The Shelby Series 1 will be crossing the block at RM Sotheby’s auction in Arizona on January 16 to 17 and, while there is no reserve, it’s expected to fetch between $120,000 to $150,000.
*Images courtesy of RM Auctions
