Shelby American to make unique Mustang Mach-E GTs — but you won't be able to buy them in US

Carroll Shelby would have celebrated his centennial birthday this year, and his family and friends wanted to do something special to honor the memory of the legendary automotive designer and racing driver.

On Wednesday, Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American, announced the company will "chart a new path" with plans to create 100 all-electric Shelby Mustang Mach-E GT vehicles available to buyers now in France, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium and the Netherlands. The company is also working to make the vehicle available in the U.K., Austria, Italy and Poland.

There is no tentative date for U.S. sales.

Shelby, who died in 2012 and was played by actor Matt Damon in the Hollywood blockbuster "Ford v. Ferrari," made history as the only person to win the Le Mans endurance race as both a manufacturer and driver. He was the only American automotive manufacturer to win the World Manufacturer's Championship — beating Ferrari with the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. Shelby engineered uniquely powerful cars that are collected and raced to this day.

Shelby American, founded in 1962 as a subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc., manufactures, modifies and markets high-performance vehicles including the Shelby GT, Super Snake, Ford Mustangs, F-150 trucks and Raptors. The company has a long history of working with Ford.

"To me, personally, Carroll Shelby is like Bob Dylan or Muhammad Ali," author A.J. Baime told the Detroit Free Press in 2020, after the release of a Shelby Carroll documentary film. Baime, a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal, also wrote the book, "Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans."

The unique Shelby price package starts at an estimated $25,000 (U.S dollars) over the cost of a Ford Mustang Mach-E GT.

For example, the manufacturer's suggested retail price of a 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT starts at $69,895 in Germany and so the Shelby version would be priced at a minimum of $94,795 with enhanced handling and styling.

The Shelby team described in its news release enhancing the electric all-wheel drive with a focus on "reducing weight, making it smoother, providing auditory appeal and tailoring styling to increase performance."

Specifically, Shelby American said it lowered the SUV over an inch, cut weight off the top of it, reduced rotating mass to enhance stability and enhanced the aerodynamics. Production is scheduled to begin in July.

“This is our first foray into a production electric vehicle, so we spent a great deal of time testing EVs on the track to understand their unique handling dynamics,” said Vince LaViolette, Shelby American vice president of operations, in a news release. Other modifications include carbon fiber mirror caps and door trim, racing stripes, custom floor mats and Shelby badging inside and out.

Unique high performance sound system

“One of the biggest complaints about EVs is the lack of sound, which is an important visceral component to motoring for enthusiasts,” LaViolette said. “That is why we integrated Borla’s Active Performance Sound System into the Shelby Mustang Mach-E. This ‘auditory connection’ really intensifies the sensation and excitement of EV driving."

The unique sound system "mirrors speed, power, RPM, torque and load with zero latency. The system combines a proprietary algorithm with state-of-the-art audio processing and amplification technology. Using real-time data from the EV's computer, Borla’s system generates a hyper-realistic ICE (internal combustion engine) soundtrack that perfectly matches the EV motor status and other vehicle dynamics," Shelby American said.

“Sound, vision and touch are the three senses we use for sport driving and without the real-time feedback of motor and vehicle dynamics through soundwaves and vibration, much of that experience is missing,” David Borla, chief marketing officer at Borla Performance Industries, said in the news release. “This product is an instrument, in more ways than one. It's like an audio tachometer that provides drivers with real-time feedback, and it's also like a musical instrument that plays an exciting soundtrack that enhances the driving experience, giving the vehicle personality and a sense of soul. After all, who wants to watch a car chase movie or play a driving video game with no sound?"

Why Europe first

Europe has been a leader in electric vehicle adoption, and buyers are ready, Shelby American said.

So Shelby wanted to retrofit the unique package on privately-owned 2021-23 model year Mustang Mach-E GT SUVs or offer the package on a new Mustang Mach-E GT vehicle from a Shelby American dealer within the 2023 calendar year.

"Carroll was an early proponent of exotic materials and the integration of advanced technologies, including electrification," Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American, said in a news release.

In 2021, the custom company introduced a concept version of the vehicle at the popular SEMA show, sponsored by the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association, in Las Vegas, with elements that included a carbon fiber hood and splitter, custom lightweight wheels and handling package that lowered the vehicle.

More surprises to come

"It was really just a test study," Aaron Shelby, board member of Carroll Shelby International and grandson of the company founder, told the Detroit Free Press for this article. "We wanted to gauge interest about the market. It had extremely positive response."

Shelby is looking now at a new buyer, younger and more female, he said. Currently, the split is expected to be 50-50 based on feedback over the past 18 months rather than the current 70-30 male split. Shelby doesn't need to do a huge performance enhancement on the Mach-E because it's already really fast, he said.

More: Buyers clamor to spend $100,000 on reimagined Shelby Cobra, Ford GT40

More: Ford returns to the most prestigious motorsport globally: Formula 1

"Here we are, taking the Shelby brand into the next generation of automotive technology," Aaron Shelby said. "We will definitely be working on future EVs for the North America market but I can't give you a time frame."

This will be the first electric Shelby for retail sale. And the company wanted to target the rapidly growing EV market in Europe, which also has seen a surge in public charging stations since 2016, Aaron Shelby noted.

More: New Shelby Mustang is 'stunning perfection' at $298,000

More: 2021 Shelby Super Snake Speedster starts at $138,780: 'Sleek elegance and muscle'

Electric car sales increased by 60% globally in 2022, surpassing 10 million, according to the World Economic Forum. The International Energy Agency reported that one in every seven passenger cars bought worldwide in 2022 was an electric vehicle, Shelby American noted.

While Shelby is moving into electric vehicles, Patterson said it remains committed to the internal combustion engine, with plans to introduce several new models over the next year to "keep V8 fans revved up."

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Shelby Mustang Mach-E GTs to be sold in Europe