Kelly Spence’s 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Prototype

“Not old enough to be called a "Barn Find". I guess this could be called a lucky web find?

Back in early 2021, I thought it may be time to look for a sporty convertible for the wife. Key statement there, “FOR THE WIFE”.

I'm up in Canada so I started with a casual online search on the Canadian version of the Autotrader website, autotrader.ca. This is where a Canadian looks for an SUV, not a collectible vehicle. I set my search filters for low mileage convertible V6 Mustangs and Camaros -- I know, I know. But it's for the wife, okay!?

I see this really sharp 2011 red Mustang with GT350 stripes that comes up in the results for what seems to be an outrageous price. Now, at this time I wasn't a Mustang or Shelby guy but having a decent knowledge of muscle cars, I was pretty sure it couldn't be a real GT350 from 2011. Was there such a car? And if it was an ultra-rare Shelby, what was it doing up here in small town in Canada? Maybe worth a call to find out if this extremely high price was a typo or the real thing? So I ring up the number in the ad and talk to the owner for a while so he can attempt to justify the asking price and also give me the Shelby CSM number to verify this car. Weird thing is, I did an extensive search of all the well-known collector and muscle car classifieds and this car did not show up anywhere -- except autotrader.ca, of course. So I call Shelby American and got connected to the director of the registry. I tell him the CSM number and he confirms it's the real deal, and about as real as it gets!

After the success of the limited run of GT350 coupes in 2011, Carol Shelby stated "Last year we brought back the GT350 45 years after it was launched. We're repeating history by adding new colors and a convertible for the second year of production". This was just a little over a year before his passing. So repeating history, he directs the build of a red and a blue prototype GT350 convertibles on 2011 chassis to market and test for the build of the 2012's. Paralleling the "Lil Red" story from 1965 in which they built the 4 different colored, 1966 convertibles prototypes used to promote and market the 67's. Only the one in red of course.

So my car happens to be the red 2011 prototype built to demonstrate and test the 6 speed 5.0 "R" tuned 625 hp supercharged engine option. This car used as a test mule for track testing as 625 hp in a convertible was very questionable at the time, it still is. The other proto built, the blue one, only had the ‘measly’ 520hp option.

Now here is the climax to this story. Sitting at his kitchen table with the guy who sold me the car after we finished the transaction, passed me the documents and keys to go with the car he says, "Oh and I found this in the glovebox after I got the car".

It was the 2011 Nevada proof of insurance document showing "Carroll Hall Shelby Trust" as the "insured person". This was left in the glovebox of the car when he bought the car from Shelby American in 2014. Mr. Shelby was physically not well at this time and passed about 7 months later in 2012. I assume that's why his assets were held in a trust. So the car was titled to Shelby American, but Mr. Shelby must have had ownership in the car in some way.

It was also the car that was sent out and pictured in publications for the majority of test drives, including the pictured cover of Mustang monthly back in May 2011 when they tested the car. I have pictures of the car being displayed at SEMA, Barrett Jackson, the Shelby American Museum, the Henry Ford museum, etc. Also some online videos of test drives with some back stories. Like this one where the driver gets ticketed …

This was all to get orders for these new, really fast convertible Mustangs.

I have a disc from January 2011 with 650 Shelby American promo images of the car on the Las Vegas speedway for marketing purposes.

So I am the proud owner of 1 of 2, 2011 GT350 convertibles. Prototype, of course, and the only one with the 625 hp engine. Shown and tested all over the place back then and once insured to Carroll Shelby.

Oh and in the end, my wife didn't get a convertible … I did.”