Carroll Shelby spared no expense with what was to be his last and most magnificent pony car creation. The price, in fact, was the car’s downfall. Loaded out, it cost as much as a new Cadillac, but the big block version, the GT-500, was such an awesome showcase of American muscle car.

Just peer at the muscular stance, with its full width, blackout grille opening and venomous Cobra snake emblem. Conventional hubcaps were excluded, and standard wheels are gorgeous 5-spoke chromed steel with cast aluminum centers fitted with reflective Cobra snake emblems. Side stripes run the length of the body, encasing GT-500 at the front. Rear quarters came stock with Cobra badges.

The GT-500 came with fiberglass front fenders, set off by vertical air scoops to duct fresh air to the brakes, and a fiberglass hood with five NACA-style scoops — three forward to intake fresh cool air and two rearward to exhaust hot engine air. Even the rear quarter panels are fitted with functional scoops to cool the rear brakes.

In the back, the taillights looked on fire when brakes were applied. Bulbs blinked sequentially for turn signals. The license plate hides the gas cap filler, and below it is a custom die-cast aluminum outlet for dual exhausts. The rear decklid flips up and doubles as a spoiler, mating with fiberglass quarter panel extensions. The backside of the spoiler reads "SHELBY," fixed to a black insert. Even the rear gravel panel is custom fiberglass.

The interior was deluxe, Shelby-ized with Stewart-Warner gauges in a custom console, and a simulated teakwood grained dashboard. Cobra emblems punctuated with wood grain inserts in the door panels. The hottest Shelby extra inside was the roll bar, fitted with trick "inertia-reel" shoulder harnesses.

Under the GT-500 hood was the 428 Cobra Jet big block, rating 335 horsepower, a conservative figure that in reality, was closer to 400. Although the 4-speed was standard, the C-6 automatic was optional, with the stock 3.50:1 Traction-Lok, and 3.91:1 and 4.30:1 gears that would lay your ears back away from a traffic light.