1998 Shelby Series One

The legendary Carroll Shelby designed a high-performance roadster dubbed the Shelby Series 1. It was produced by Shelby America based at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Clark County, Nevada. Production of the Shelby Series 1 began in 1998 and continued until 2005. A second generation of the Series 1, called the Series 2, was rumored to debut in 2006, and it is believed that around 500 examples were created.

The Shelby Series 1 was powered by a four-liter Oldsmobile L47 Aurora V8 engine capable of producing 320 horsepower. It has DOHC's and four-valves per cylinder. The transmission positioning is a unique design; it is located at the rear axle giving the SEries 1 a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Zero-to-sixty took a mere 4.5 seconds and the quarter mile was achieved in 12.8 seconds at 112 mph. Top speed is 185 mph. The car weighs just over 1200kg (2650 lbs) and measures 168.9 inches in length and 76.5-inches in width. The low weight is achieved by the use of exotic materials such as carbon-fiber composites and heat-treated aluminum.

Playboy magazine awarded Karen McDougal a special version of the Series 1 for being the 1998 Playmate of the Year. The car was finished in silver with the middle stripe removed.

In 1999 the Shelby Series 1 was featured in the Xbox game Forza Motorsports and Forza Motorsports 2. In 2003 a supercharged version of the Series 1 was featured in the Playstation 2 game Gran Turismo 4, and cost 184,792 credits.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 5CXSA1815XL000217

The Shelby America Series I was powered by a 4-liter, DOHC V-8 engine fitted with a fuel injection system and offering 320 horsepower.

The Series I was a fast American sports car that had aggressive bodywork, was lightweight, and produced in limited numbers. There were just 249 examples produced and all were painted in Silver Metallic. They had a racing-derived aluminum space-frame chassis and were hand-built to racecar standards. In both the front and the back were an independent suspension setup with inboard rocker arm-actuated shock absorbers and large ventilated disc brakes.

This example is number 217 out of 249 built. It has about 3,300 actual miles and has been well cared for all its life.

In 2011, this vehicle was offered for sale at the Amelia Island Auction presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $90,000-$120,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $96,250 including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster

The Shelby Series 1 is unlike any other Carroll Shelby creation. It is powered by an Aurora 320 horsepower dual overhead camshaft 4-liter Oldsmobile V8 engine that produces 320 horsepower. It is the only car designed and engineered by Carroll Shelby from the ground up. Manufactured at Shelby American headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, just 249 were produced.

The sleek body is made of carbon fiber and fiberglass laminate and it weighs in at a mere 2,650 pounds. During production, the Venture Corporation purchased Shelby American, Inc. which included the Series 1 model, but not the rights to produce the 'Continuation Series' Shelby Cobras. In 2004, after the bankruptcy of the Venture Corporation, Carroll Shelby's new company, Shelby Automobiles, Inc., purchased all of the Series 1 related assets for pennies on the dollar. This included enough components to produce several more complete Series 1s.