Shelby Automobiles Production Facility

The Shelby Automobiles facility is really a small-run production shop. It does an efficient job of converting standard Mustang GTs into Hertz Shelby GT-Hs, and it's good to see that Shelby has not licensed this out to a third party concern. This adds considerable legitimacy to the project, as it will likely add value to the cars in the future.

The process is not unlike that at Shelby's original Los Angeles area location, from 1965 to 1967. New Mustangs roll in the back door, a combination of Shelby and Ford high-performance parts are bolted on, and the car rolls out another door as a Shelby. As part of our September 2006 issue cover story ("We Rent It - We Race It!") we visited Shelby's mini-factory to pick up our test car (and more importantly, to see the process for ourselves), and learn the steps taken along the way. Although the following isn't exactly a step-by-step review of the GT-H conversion, it gives an idea of what goes on, and demonstrates that Shelby is indeed back in the hot Mustang business. Wonder what they'll come up with next?