Hot Mustangs feature at Barrett-Jackson auction

With hundreds of vehicles on offer, including pickup trucks and motorcycles, there’s always something that appeals at Barrett-Jackson’s auctions in the US. Their most recent auction, held in Las Vegas from 17-19 June, had some special consignments for fans of the Ford Mustang – both old and new.

In addition to a one-off 1966 GT convertible build for Henry Ford II (see more HERE), there were several outstanding restomods based on the first-generation Pony Car, including a highly-detailed Eleanor tribute.

1967 Mustang ‘Eleanor Tribute Edition’

This authentic and detailed Eleanor tribute was built by Brand New Muscle Car in Oklahoma, using parts from R3 Performance Products, which is one of only two companies licensed to provide reproduction body shells, chassis and suspension parts for Eleanor Tribute Edition Mustangs.

Reproduction 1965-70 Mustang fastback and convertible bodies from R3 Performance Products have been around since 2017 and are officially licensed by Ford, so they carry Ford serial numbers for title and registration, but the deal to produce Eleanor tributes only came about in 2019.

This car looked a little different from the Eleanor most of us are familiar with, due to its reversed paint treatment – black with silver stripes. Brand New Muscle call this a ‘Midnight Edition’ Eleanor Tribute. Complementing this were polished alloy wheels and movie-correct exterior trim parts, like the billet grille, central fog lamps and bonnet pins. There’s no lower sill stripe, though, and the car carried ‘Eleanor Tribute Edition’ badging on the front guards and tail.

Under the bonnet, there was a 408ci Ford V8 and Tremec five-speed manual trans, while R3 Performance Products’ adjustable independent front suspension and 4-link rear suspension had been fitted, along with rack-and-pinion steering, Wilwood brakes and a NOS tank in the boot.

The interior carried movie-correct features like a Leccara wood-rimmed steering wheel, black leather seat trim and a the ‘Go Baby Go’ shift knob. There was also a ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ badge on the dash, custom centre console, air con, CD/DVD navigation system, XM satellite radio and Bluetooth.

Signed memorabilia and a Certificate of Authenticity was included with this Eleanor Tribute Edition, which was offered with no reserve and sold for US$220,000 (AU$293,200 approx.).

1965 Mustang fastback restomod

With a red-white-black finish inspired by Ford’s 1969 Trans Am race cars, the ’65 fastback restomod from Campbell Auto Restoration in California featured an all-new driveline, made up a 427ci Roush crate engine producing 600+hp (447+kW), six-speed manual and Ford 9-inch diff built for street and track use. A modified Mercury Cougar Eliminator bonnet scoop was added, the exhausts exit just behind the doors and a fuel cell was dropped in for the factory tank.

Both the front and rear suspension was upgraded, with TCP coilovers up front and modified leaf springs at the back, while the body panels were modified – all in steel - to take larger wheels and tyres. Power rack and pinion steering, Baer brakes and Shelby-style front and rear ends were also fitted.

Inside, there was a four-point roll bar, Recaro seats with four-point harnesses, deleted rear seat, modern gauge cluster, Momo steering wheel and aftermarket pedals. Air con was fitted, too, but no stereo.

Offered with no reserve, this restomod Mustang sold for US$143,000 (AU$190,600 approx.).

2015 Shelby GT350R

For fans of newer Mustangs, one of the stand-out lots was a 2015 Shelby GT350R.

Released to mark the 50th Anniversary of the original Shelby GT350R, just 37 units of the 2015 tribute were built, mirroring the build total from 1965. The US$63,495 price was a 27 per cent premium over the MY15 GT350, but these cars weren’t for everyone - they were only offered to Ford family and selected “VIPs,” like Jay Leno.

Powered by a 5.2-litre V8 utilising a flat-plane crankshaft and delivering 526hp (392kW) from 7,500rpm to the 8,250rpm redline, this race-derived engine was bolted to a special Tremec TR-3160 six-speed manual and Torsen limited-slip diff.

Each MY15 GT350R featured MagneRide electronic dampers, 6-piston Brembo brakes up front and 4-piston in the rear, as well as one-piece carbon fibre wheels from Aussie company Carbon Revolution and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

Inside, the cabin fitout was deliberately spartan, with a focus was on the driver. Recaro racing front seats and delete rear seats were standard, but the Equipment Group 920A and Electronics Package fitted to this particular GT350R meant it included Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system with navigation, a 7-speaker premium sound system and dual-zone air conditioning.

Finished in Avalanche Gray metallic with red-edged black racing stripes, along with a carbon fibre spoiler and grille, the unit auctioned was #10 of the 37 built and owned from new by Jon Gruden, head coach of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.

Last year, Gruden picked up a new MY20 Shelby GT500 with special Raiders decals and detailing, which explains why he was selling his MY15 Shelby.

Coming to auction with just 157 miles on the odometer and offered with no reserve, this GT350R sold for US$147,400 (AU$196,500 approx.).

2012 Shelby 1000

Another more recent Mustang offering was a 2012 Shelby 1000 one-owner car with just 2,102 miles on the dial.

The 1000 was born from Carroll Shelby’s dream of a 1,000hp (745kW) street car. To achieve that goal, a 5.4-litre Ford V8 from the GT500 was upgraded with new pistons, conrods and camshafts, ported/polished heads, an improved induction system designed to run on racing fuel, upgraded cooling system and a 3.6-litre Kenne Bell supercharger.

To handle the additional horsepower, various frame stiffening measures were required, including a tubular front subframe and transmissional tunnel strengthening, while the clutch, six-speed manual and diff were also strengthened.

Offered in street and track versions, the 1000 auctioned at Las Vegas was fitted with the optional glass roof panel and widebody conversion that added 15cm of width to the rear and 10cm to the front, allowing for super-wide 13-inch (33cm) rear wheels to be fitted.

Finished in black over black, with full leather Recaro seats, climate control air con and HD radio, this Shelby was also fitted with the appropriate ‘Shaker 1,000’ 10-speaker 1,000-watt sound system.

Tuned by Shelby American ahead of consignment for the Las Vegas auction, this rare modern Shelby 1000 was another no reserve lot and sold for US$115,500 (AU$154,000 approx.).

For general information and details on other lots from the Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas auction, go to: barrett-jackson.com

Photos: courtesy of Barrett-Jackson Auctions

Thanks to TPRM