This 1967 Shelby GT500 Is the Real Car That Inspired 'Eleanor'

The Unicorn Behind the Legend

If there’s one poster car that transcends generations of enthusiasts, it’s the 1967 Shelby GT500. When Ford redesigned the Mustang platform for 1967, Carroll Shelby seized the opportunity and dropped the 428 big-block V8 between the fenders, birthing a legend. So when the Gone in 60 Seconds production team needed a hero car, they selected a 1967 GT500 fastback as the template to create one of the most recognizable muscle cars in existence: Eleanor. 

This genuine Shelby carries the original blueprint that inspired Eleanor's entire existence. This example wears Dark Moss Green paint, and has been restored to factory-spec back in the ‘90s. Mecum's January auction estimates suggest values between $325,000 and $375,000 for this restored GT500, a bargain for a highly-original example of the car that gave rise to Eleanor. 

Restored to Original Specification

Only 2,048 GT500 fastbacks were made in ’67, the first year of production. Each featured hand-fitted components, including the extended nose, functional hood scoops, and the distinctive rear spoiler. The GT500 pushed 355 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque through either a three-speed automatic transmission or a four-speed manual, like this car.

Specialist Greg Adams handled the comprehensive restoration of this example, prioritizing factory correctness and originality. The numbers-matching 428 engine was rebuilt to original specifications, meaning there’s more of those ponies still around today. The cabin features the original tachometer, AM radio, clock, and extra cooling package. Period-correct Magstar wheels wear Goodyear rubber with white lettering. The hood, inboard headlights, hood pins, power front disc brakes, and roll bar all match original factory equipment lists.

Current mileage hovers just under 50,000 miles, representing careful preservation rather than garage-queen status. The odometer reading places this GT500 firmly in collectible territory, but not so low that the next owner can’t drive it the way it was meant to be driven.

The Shelby GT500 Still Has Investment Potential

Pricing on this beautiful Shelby places it squarely in the middle tier of the GT500 market, where correct restoration work commands premium dollars, without reaching the unattainable territory of Eleanor movie cars, which typically fetch around a million dollars if one pops up for sale. Meanwhile, tribute builds command considerably less at $150,000 to $200,000. 

This factory-original example bridges that gap, offering genuine Shelby credentials without movie-provenance inflation and the extras that a lot of enthusiasts don't appreciate. The GT500's significance, being the first year of big-block Shelby production, and the foundation for everything that followed, cannot be overstated. For collectors, this car’s originality is everything, making it a proper unicorn.

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