Shelby Ranchero GT

[jerry merrill]

I have heard of various ultra rare cars of most types (Ranchero, or various other Ford cars) from people at car shows whose brother or uncle had "connections with Shelby" and were able to get their cars modified on the assembly line at Shelby American and there fore they were legit Shelby cars. All ridiculous for hundreds of reasons but I was just looking at an old Jan. 1986 issue of The Ford Enthusiast magazine and an article says that there was indeed a 1978 Ranchero Shelby GT that was made on the Southfield Michigan Shelby Automotive facility (surely it was not operational eight years after production of Shelbys ended). The article goes on to show a not very good picture of a window sticker and various door tags and description of the vehicle and how Ford pushed this through for their 75th anniversary celebration. This car was owned by a Ranchero club member. This is too bizarre for belief but has any one ever heard of this one way or another?

[Bob Gaines]

I have heard of various ultra rare cars of most types (Ranchero, or various other Ford cars) from people at car shows whose brother or uncle had "connections with Shelby" and were able to get their cars modified on the assembly line at Shelby American and there fore they were legit Shelby cars. All ridiculous for hundreds of reasons but I was just looking at an old Jan. 1986 issue of The Ford Enthusiast magazine and an article says that there was indeed a 1978 Ranchero Shelby GT that was made on the Southfield Michigan Shelby Automotive facility (surely it was not operational eight years after production of Shelbys ended). The article goes on to show a not very good picture of a window sticker and various door tags and description of the vehicle and how Ford pushed this through for their 75th anniversary celebration. This car was owned by a Ranchero club member. This is too bizarre for belief but has any one ever heard of this one way or another?

Yes . It is a made up story that some photographer /writer apparently took at face value without checking facts and sold the story to the magazine.it was debunked years ago. It is pure fiction.

[jerry merrill]

Thanks for the info, i figured as much. That story although detailed somewhat was no better that the experts i used to run into at car shows, way too ridiculous to be based in fact.

[roddster]

  Around here (Northern Illinois/ Chicago)  there is a fellow who put a Talledega front end on a Ranchero.  Upgrades included the red/white Cale Yarbourough paint scheme.  Cool looking rig.

[gt350hr]

 The only things missing are the "once owned by Carroll Shelby" and the signed dash.
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Coralsnake]

I dont think there was a facility at Southfield?

69s were built in Ionia and 70s in Brighton. Just offices in other locations.

But it is a great story...

[gt350hr]

  Factory ten spokes?

[jerry merrill]

I was hoping deep down inside that it may be true and join the Bullitt mustangs, Little Red and the Green Hornet at National car shows. Maybe it was owned by Jim Morrison and is stored with his hidden 67. Oh wait he was already gone by 1978.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Yes lots of people who knew somebody at Shelby's had their cars Shelbyized - with lunch box parts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Piece_at_a_Time