End of an Era GT500 - Old Cars Weekly Newsletter

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Car of the Week: 1970 Shelby GT500 convertible The 1970 Shelby GT500 marked an end of and era, and Billups Classic Cars made sure this Shelby GT500 convertible will stand as a testament to its greatness for years to come. Lurking in a back-corner stall of Billups Classic Cars' shop in Colcord, Okla., awaiting its turn for a total makeover, was a Wimbledon White 1970 Shelby GT500 convertible. Its older siblings, the green 1968 Shelby GT500 coupe known as "The Green Hornet" and its older brother, the red 1967 GT500 coupe known as "Little Red," were both undergoing concours restorations at Billups' shop. The importance of these two Shelby coupes and the logical efficiency of simultaneously restoring them forced the '70 GT500 convertible to take a back seat at Billups' shop, but the '70 GT500 was no less of an important car in the Shelby story. Having been built on June 20, 1969, for delivery to Wilmington, Mass., this was the very last of the original Shelby GT500 convertibles to roll off the line at Shelby Automotive, Inc. in Southfield, Mich. Things started getting more interesting at Billups Classic Cars for the 1970 GT500 convertible when, one day, a carrier arrived with the one-of-one Candy Apple Red 1967 Shelby GT500 convertible after making the trip from Florida. The '67 GT500 convertible found its way to Billups Classic Cars for hood replacement, engine bay detailing and cosmetic enhancements. Billups Classic Cars had restored it prior, but new documentation acquired by its owner indicated the improved vented Shelby hood design had appeared on this GT500 early in its history, so the upgrade was made to install a correct version. This Shelby on the only '67 GT500 convertible Carroll Shelby and his team produced at Shelby American. With these two cars under the same roof, the first and last Shelby GT500 convertibles were united. See More Make your car our "Car of the Week"  If you've got an old car you really love, we want to hear about it! Click here to submit your ride! Arizona Car Week events for fun in the sun January 17-26 The desert will heat up for Arizona Car Week 2025. Ten days of old car excitement in store in Arizona on January 17-26. Phoenix, Arizona -  Kicking off January 17, Arizona Car Week will feature an event roster packed full of diverse automotive experiences designed for everyone with a passion for incredible cars. This inclusive celebration of everything automotive will once again bring car enthusiasts, collectors and fans from across the globe to the Valley of the Sun for a greatly expanded series of outstanding events. Throughout the week, residents and visitors to Arizona can expect the ultimate experience spotlighting the world's most spectacular collector cars. See More New documentary series 'America's Last Independent Automaker' focuses on American Motors Corporation's history 'America's Last Independent Automaker,' a six-part documentary comes to public TV stations and online streaming as a series of half-hour episodes in May 2025 and will cover the history of American Motors Corporation. Old Cars' own, Patrick Foster is involved in this production. After nearly eight years of work, a new documentary detailing the rise and fall of American Motors Corporation will air this May on Public Television stations across the country. The team responsible for creating the documentary includes longtime Old Cars columnist historian/author Patrick Foster, filmmaker Joe Ligo, formerly with MotorWeek TV, and professional cameraman Jim Needle. Ligo is the head producer while Foster and Needle are co-producers. The effort involved conducting more than 50 lengthy interviews with former AMC employees from Detroit and Kenosha, plus interviews with two former American Motors CEO's, along with an interview with Mitt Romney, who discussed his father's years at the helm, and film clips taken from more than 100 hours of historic videos archived at the Kenosha History Center, Interviewees also include MotorWeek's John Davis and The Autopian's David Tracey. Patrick Foster appears on camera as well, explaining what happened and sharing details of decades-old conversations with the many AMC executives he knew personally. See More Now You Can Look 'Em Up Online! How much is your vintage ride worth? You can now join the Old Cars Price Guide Membership and find out online. Pricing right at your fingertips. Join Now! Subscribe Now to the Highest Frequency Publication for Die-Hard Car Lovers!  Your subscription to  Old Cars includes: All the recent news from around the old car hobby Coverage of all the important collector car auctions and shows Classifieds including expert advice SUBSCRIBE NOW Active Interest Media 2143 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312 United States View online  You received this email because you are subscribed to newsletters from Old Cars Weekly. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive.