Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (1967)
The Ford Mustang was not, contrary to popular belief in some circles, a muscle car. It created the pony car segment, which later grew to include the Chevrolet Camaro, the Pontiac Firebird and the AMC Javelin. They were normally smaller, more affordable and less powerful than muscle cars; at least most of the time.
Tuning king Carroll Shelby gave the Mustang the confidence it needed to march right into muscle car territory. The GT350, the first Shelby-tuned Mustang launched, arrived in 1965 with 306hp under the hood. The GT500 introduced two years later benefited from a 427-cubic-inch (7.0-litre) V8 derived from the unit used by the Le Mans-winning GT40.
