Update 1/15/2019: This 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 Super Snake ended up selling for a staggering $2.2 million at Mecum's Kissimmee auction last weekend, doubling estimates and setting a record for most expensive Mustang ever sold at Auction. This new sale price is $900,000 more than what it previously sold for in 2013. Our article of the car coming up for sale, originally published on December 11th, 2018, can be seen below.

Shelby collectors: Brace yourself for this one. The only 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 Super Snake ever built is coming up for sale next month at a Mecum auction. Equipped with a GT40-style high-output V8 engine, it's the crown jewel of Shelby's Mustang-based cars. You should buy it.

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This one-off GT500 was built as part of a collaboration with Goodyear to help them promote a new line of economy "Thunderbolt" tires. Shelby's goal was to build a car that could outperform anything else while wearing these tires, so he had a GT500 built with a 427 cubic-inch racing V8 to the same specifications as the GT40 MkII raced at Le Mans, along with an upgraded transmission and rear end. He then had the car driven for 500 miles at an average speed of 142 mph as a test to see if the tires would hold up. The test was a complete success, with the Thunderbolt tires retaining 97 percent of their original tread, and the car topping speeds of 170 MPH.

Originally, Shelby planned on building 50 examples of the GT500 Super Snake, but once Ford learned the price would be twice that of a normal GT500, the project was shelved. Richard Ellis, the current owner, performed a light restoration after he took ownership, sourcing the correct wiring and hoses for the engine, a period-correct fire extinguisher, Shelby 10-spoke wheels, and even an original set of Goodyear Thunderbolt economy tires.

This Super Snake is coming up for auction in early January as part of Mecum's Kissimmee 2019 event, with a sale price estimate of $1 million - $1.2 million. That's a whole lot of money for a Mustang, but this one might just be worth it.

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