Pair of Restored Shelby Unicorns Make Debut at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale

Two highly sought-after Shelby GT500’s unveiled along with their modern counterparts.

Once lost, but now restored to their original beauty, two monumental Shelby Mustangs – “Green Hornet” and “Little Red” – have now been revealed to the public. Craig Jackson, CEO of Barrett-Jackson, revealed both cars on Thursday at the Barret-Jackson Scottsdale Auction. The fully restored 1968 Shelby GT500 prototype named Green Hornet accompanied the newly restored 1967 Shelby GT500 prototype known as Little Red, and were seen side by side for the first time. Both cars were restored by Jackson and are the only notchback coupes ever produced wearing the Shelby nameplate.

The restoration of Green Hornet was spearheaded by Jason Billups of Billups Classic Cars in Colcord, Oklahoma. Jackson had a nagging desire to unearth Little Red, and the search to find the lost car was led by Billups. On March 3, 2018, the red Shelby GT500 was found in a rural field in north Texas.

When Jackson had both notchback coupes fully restored, he further complimented the set by acquiring a one-of-one Candy Apple Green and a Rapid Red 2020 Shelby GT500. An independent rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and electronic fuel injection connect Green Hornet to the 2020 models, while the new supercharger is reminiscent of what’s under the hood of Little Red. Jackson paid $1.1 million at auction for the 2020 Green Hornet car to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Following the unveiling of the two restored cars, the four Shelby Mustangs were started in unison. Steve Davis, President of Barrett-Jackson, started Green Hornet and Craig Jackson fired up Little Red. In the modern Mustangs, Aaron Shelby, grandson of Carroll Shelby, was in the Candy Apple Green GT500, while Jim Owens, Ford Mustang Brand Manager, started the Rapid Red 2020 GT500. All four cars combined produce over 2,600 horsepower.