History 101



The History of a 1968 Factory Engineering Car

January 2012







Engineering cars were used by Shelby to test various components and features not found on regular production cars. The history of most engineering cars had been largely ignored until recently. 8T02S113607-00101 is one of the first 1968 Shelbys built. It shares many of the features found on other early built cars.



In September of 1967, months before regular Shelby production started, a handful of cars were assembled. These cars are sometimes referred to as "pilot cars". These cars were assigned to the Shelby Engineering Department. The information found on # 101 also indicates it is part of the history of Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI). Fred Goodell, Shelby's Chief Engineer, was a proponent of fuel injection. He found that the EFI systems provided a much better fuel delivery system than the carbureted models. It's hard to believe, but in the late 1960's Shelby Automotive was on the cutting edge of what later become an industry standard.


Most people are familiar with the California Special prototype, commonly referred to as the "Green Hornet". This was one of the cars assigned to Shelby Engineering. From the time period 1967 to 1970, Shelby engineers had installed Electronic Fuel Injection systems on over a dozen cars. They experimented on both big blocks and small blocks.


EFI was not the only thing Shelby engineers experimented with. They tested radios, superchargers and various other components. Most likely several different types of EFI systems were tested. Goodell favored a system made by Conelec. Conelec was a smaller company from New York, but Goddell felt they would be able to provide enough EFI systems for production. He also felt the system had several advantages over the more common Bendix- Bosch set ups.


Determining the exact Shelby build date of a car is never easy. We usually can figure out the Ford Mustang build date and the date the car was shipped from Shelby to the first dealer. This leaves us with a window. In the case of # 101, we know the car was still be used for testing as late as January 1969. In other words, the exact Shelby conversion date was somewhat of a mystery until fairly recently. By carefully studying the records and the physical features of the car, there is little doubt it was one of the first Shelbys built in Septemeber of 1967.




This manufacturer's license plate was used on # 101.






At first glance, these appear to be aftermarket speakers. But, the history of the car indicates there is a good chance they were factory installed.









These holes in the front of the left fenders, closely match the location of a fuse panel that was installed on the Conelec Fuel Injection cars. The computer would have been mounted just forward of the radiator support. Some of the fuel injection drawings and blueprints have been found.







The holes in the gas tank filler neck were most likely used for a fuel return line. Unused fuel was returned to the tank. You can also see the unique tail light treatment. The production method of dimpling the rear valence and the standard block off plates had not been developed yet. One theory suggests that the extra sound deadner in the trunk was an attempt to quiet the car for stereo radio testing.


Most likely all of the unique fuel injection parts were removed, before 101 was sold as a "used car" to Courtesy Ford in Littleton, Colorado. It is likely the original GT500 motor had already been replaced with a service engine. That's was in 1969. The car had remained at Shelby engineering for nearly two years! According to the Shelby Club, the first owner was GW Aschenbrenner. He sold the car in 1976 to a Jan Dansdill. Dansdill sold the car after four years to Gail Rhoten. Rhoten installed a 427 side oiler in the car. The car was sold in 1990 to Gregg Cly. Cly painted the car black. Cly, in turn, sold the car to Webb. It was passed on to Edwin Parks of Alabama.


When Tom Conzo purchased the car in 1993, he did an excellent job of documenting the car. The engineering history of the car was known to many of the previous owners. But, finding information on the details was difficult. When Tom was ready to sell the car, the new owner knew he had a special opportunity. This may be one the first engineering cars to have changed hands in the last twenty years.


The current plans for the car are to drive enjoy it. Eventually a restoration may be on the table. But, the new owner has indicated he wants to learn even more about the Conelec Fuel system and the engineering cars. Personally, I think that's an excellent idea.


Engineering cars will become more sought after in the coming years. Collectors and enthusiasts are only now beginning to understand their historical significance in shaping the modern cars of today. The new Shelby World Registry will feature a special chapter on engineering cars.