Barrett-Jackson’s Craig Jackson and Team Find “Little Red,” the 1967 Ford Shelby GT500 EXP Prototype
August 17 2018 - 8:39PM
Business Wire
- Shelby’s Little Red prototype GT500
EXP, the “Holy Grail” of lost collector cars located
- Little Red is the only GT500 coupe
(hardtop) built by Shelby American
- It is the only GT coupe ordered with
and factory-equipped with dual-quad carburetors
- Little Red is the second GT500 coupe to
be serialized and completed
- Crowdsourcing will help document the
complete history of Little Red, a first in the collector car
hobby
Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson Collector Car
Auction Company, Shell and Pennzoil today announced during the
annual Woodward Dream Cruise in Michigan that Shelby American’s
1967 Shelby GT500 EXP prototype nicknamed Little Red was located
and verified on March 3, 2018. The team who discovered Little Red
was led by Jackson and classic car restoration specialist Jason
Billups, and consisted of leading experts who located the vehicle
in rural North Texas, where it has been stored by the same owner
for more than two decades. The discovery of Little Red, which was
largely presumed destroyed after years of searching, is considered
one of the most significant finds in American car collector
history.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180817005442/en/
Shelby's Little Red prototype GT500 EXP,
the "Holy Grail" of lost collector cars, located. (Photo: Business
Wire)
“Finding Little Red is the discovery of a lifetime,” said
Jackson. “This Shelby prototype has been one of the most
sought-after and elusive vehicles in postwar history. Countless
enthusiasts and experts have searched for Little Red since it went
missing in the 1960s. Many believed it was destroyed when the car
was no longer needed. I’m excited to announce that was not the
case. We’ve found Little Red and we intend to meticulously restore
this legendary car back to its original glory.”
Dubbed “Little Red,” the big-block Shelby notchback coupe was
one of a pair of “experimental” cars created by Ford Motor Company
and Shelby American. It was a pivotal developmental car with a
variety of ideas put into play, from a restyled body to adding a
Paxton supercharger to the big-block engine. Under the direction of
Lee Iacocca, the car eventually became the model for Ford’s popular
1968 Mustang California Special before it was moved to storage and
presumably lost.
The idea to look for Little Red began during the restoration of
the other legendary Shelby prototype coupe, named the Green Hornet.
Little Red and the Green Hornet were the only notchback coupes ever
produced to wear the Shelby nameplate. Craig Jackson and Billups
discussed what the chances might be of finding the fabled 1967
Shelby Experimental Coupe. Billups felt it was a mystery worth
investigating, and the team began their search.
“Locating Little Red was tantamount to finding the proverbial
needle in a haystack,” said Billups. “After our initial research we
realized that, like others before us, we were using the wrong
search criteria. Everyone looked for Little Red using the Shelby
serial number, which would eventually lead to a dead end. We took a
different approach and located the car’s original Ford VIN number,
which wasn’t easily discoverable. That VIN led us to its original
registration and eventually to its last owner.”
After initial contact with the owner via social media in
February, Billups and Little Red’s owner agreed to meet in Dallas,
Texas. On March 3, 2018, Billups, along with automotive journalist
Al Rogers and Ford Mustang and Shelby specialist Todd Hollar, were
given access to the Texas property where Little Red spent the last
20 years.
When the team discovered the vehicle in March, it was identified
as the original missing experimental car with the assistance of
renowned Ford Mustang expert Kevin Marti. The team also verified
its authenticity using cross references, serial numbers, date codes
and other confidential documents proving the vehicle was, in fact,
the missing Shelby prototype, Little Red.
“March 3rd will be forever etched in the history books,” said
Rogers. “Walking up to Little Red was like being on hallowed
ground. This car was long thought by the experts to be forever lost
to history. Even the owner was not aware that his vehicle was
Shelby American’s iconic 1967 Shelby Experimental Coupe. We can’t
be more excited to have been a part of Craig Jackson’s team and
have the chance to bring this important car back to its original
glory. We’re especially honored to be a part of Little Red’s
restoration over the next several months, which will be carefully
documented and shared with Shelby, Mustang and Ford enthusiasts
around the world.”
Little Red was stored in outdoor conditions for nearly two
decades. As a result, the restoration of Little Red will be one of
the most meticulous projects in American car collector history. The
restoration will be fully documented on
www.ShelbyPrototypeCoupes.com and include photos, videos and a
robust content storyboard that will detail each step of the
rebuild.
Shell and Pennzoil are helping support, in part, the
documentation of Little Red’s restoration journey. “As brands that
have been part of American and worldwide automotive history for
more than 100 years, we understand the importance of heritage. So,
with that in mind, we’re thrilled to join Craig Jackson and his
team on this historic journey to return Little Red to its original
glory,” said Mark Henry, brand and communications manager, Shell
Lubricants. “This will be one of the greatest stories of automotive
history ever told, and we look forward to having a role in making
it come alive for generations to come.”
To further document Little Red’s history, the public can submit
personal accounts, stories and photos that feature Little Red. This
will be the first time that a collector car vehicle will be
substantiated in part, using a crowdsourcing initiative on
www.ShelbyPrototypeCoupes.com.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180817005442/en/
TimePiece PR & MarketingScott Black,
214-520-3430SBlack@TPRM.com