This Maverick might be the most undocumented, unknown muscle car in existence. In fact, it’s actual existence is entirely questionable and speculative. Shelby de Mexico existed, this is known. Eduardo Velasquez partnered up with Carroll Shelby after a chance meeting in the mid-1960’s to acquire parts for Mexican-built Mustang notchbacks that would be sold as Shelby GT350’s. This occurred between 1967-1970, and additionally as Shelby GT-351’s in 1971. Those cars are known and documented. But about 1970, Shelby had sold his stake in the “Cobra” brand to Ford, the gas crunch was hitting, and performance was leaving the scene in the United States. Not to mention the the 1971 Mustang was a big car. So, what to do?
This is the answer and the biggest question surrounding the entire Shelby de Mexico scene: The Shelby Maverick. So little is known of the supposedly 300 converted Mavericks that everything is questionable. Take your pick, the rumor mill has covered it: 302 powered, 351 powered. Maverick and Comet grilles. Maverick, Comet, Brazillian-style Maverick and Shelby-style tails. Comet GT scoop, Maverick Grabber twin-nostril hood. Hood tachometers. Shelby suspensions. All of it is unconfirmed and not one of the three hundred cars has ever surfaced. The only legitimate car known to ever exist is the green car pictured at an auto show in Mexico, and that one has been lost to time.
Since the pictured car is a hybrid of Maverick and Comet with a bunch of aftermarket items attached, it’s amazing that nobody has attempted to clone it yet. We already know that the Maverick, with a few hot-rodding touches, is a very capable machine: at one point in time it was actually being considered for the second generation Mustang before Lee Iacocca decided on a different path. What’s your take on it? Does it sound legitimate to you, or does this seem like the kind of story that ends up with the company going “poof!”?
It has probably been made,but i guess all of them lived a hard life..and did they have tags With shelby written on them?…I might suspect no,and therefore a Maverick in Mexicio could be just another Maverick without the spoilers and scoop.
There where also built a Shelby Maverick in Belgium by the European Shelby importer Claude Du Bois,and it looked just like the Mexico one..however,there where only built one,and it was scrapped in the eighties.
In the absence of any actual Shelby Mavericks surfacing, I would guess it was planned and announced but never happened.
I have never heard of such a critter before, nor the Shelby of Mexico. You’d think if 300 were produced, there’d be at least one around, especially with the fact that anything with Shelby’s name on it has been pretty much gold for decades.
why cant i get the idea of a shelby pinto out of my head?!?
If all of them stayed in Mexico, they could have easily all been scrapped by now.
This can’t be coincidence! last week on “fat and furious” they took a maverick and gave it the Shelby overhaul!!!
http://saacforum.com/index.php?topic=23032.0 I love mavericks and new right where to find info about the shelbys
That is probably the only one to ever exisit.
This is one bad looking Maverick/Shelby? I have a 1972 that I converted to a pro-street and as the article states “with a few hot-rodding techniques they are very capable cars”. Mine has a “331” stroker motor that makes 554 horsepower and then add a 150 horsepower shot of nitrous and it makes a little over 700 horsepower that runs mid 9’s at 144 miles per hour in the quarter mile. Great car and fun to drive. Now, if