I was wondering, wasn't one car built? Wasn't it shown? Why was it killed off? Seems like they could sell some if Porsche can sell a $75,000 Cayenne. Anyhow here's the 2004 story.... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Shelby Ford SUV unveiled Carroll Shelby, best known for high-powered Shelby Mustangs, has plans for the huge Expedition. November 10, 2004: 5:28 PM EST By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money saff writer NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Carroll Shelby, best known as the creator of the muscle car-era Shelby Mustangs, is adding his big-power touch to something a little different and much bigger -- a souped-up version of the Ford Expedition sport/utility vehicle. The Shelby Expedition, which Shelby Automobiles is calling a "performance utility vehicle" or PUV, is powered by a 5.4 liter Ford GT engine fitted with a supercharger. The engine produces 550 horsepower and 500 foot-pounds of torque; the largest stock engine available on a Ford Expedition produces 301 horsepower. The special edition also has a five-speed automatic transmission, a high-performance exhaust system and special brakes. It rides on 22-inch wheels. Related stories • More from the SEMA show • Performance legend rejoins Ford The vehicle was unveiled this week at the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show in Las Vegas. The Shelby Expedition has a custom interior with navigation equipment, a CD/DVD system with LCD monitors in the headrests. If the vehicle does make it to final production, it will probably have a sticker price of about $110,000, said Brent Fenimore, vice president of Shelby Automobiles, the auto manufacturing arm of Carroll Shelby International (Research). Versions with a slightly less powerful engine could also be produced and sold in larger numbers for about $75,000, he said. Based on reactions from show attendees and Ford executives, the Shelby Expedition will likely be produced at least in small numbers, Fenimore said. The company called the Expedition the first in a series of products that the company is considering. Carroll Shelby officially rekindled his relationship with Ford Motor Co. (Research) last year after acting as a consultant on the Ford GT supercar. The GT recently began selling at a sticker price of about $140,000. A similar version of the F-150 pick-up is also being considered, said Fenimore. The company is also working on a line of Shelby-branded performance parts for Ford vehicles, he said. Shelby Automotive is currently working on the new Shelby Mustang, altough no timeline has been set for its production, Fenimore said. The company is planning to produce a racing version of the car before it produces a version for street use, he said. "We want to beat the snot out of everybody on the racetrack first and use that data," he said. Ford and Shelby first worked together about 40 years ago, a partnership that created the high-powered Shelby Mustangs coveted today by muscle car collectors. In 1965, Ford hired Shelby to help with the GT40 race car it was designing. That car was the inspiration for the new Ford GT. Prior to working with Ford, Shelby had created the famous Shelby AC Cobra sports car, which used a Ford V-8 engine. --*Disclaimer
There is a guy named Freeman Thomas in charge of NA design Kind of design genius who invented the TT at Audi, new beetle, etc. Ran into him at cars & coffee in Irvine a few times. We have to remind him of this car which might have come along when he was still at Chrysler. He's working on ways to create niche cars without much budget for it.
I had read on the old Shelby Autos site that production was going to wait until the new Expedition body was released (which I think was 2006) and that Unique Performance was to build them under license. I guess that pretty much tells the reason the vehicle was never built. robin