Wingard Motorsports will be producing a limited quantity of “Series 2” sports cars based on the lesser-known Shelby Series 1 roadster that came out in the late 1990s and early 2000s. According to Motor1, the continuation series will be shipped without an engine.
The original roadster debuted in 1997. Its original bodywork concealed electronics and some other components sourced from General Motors. The same applied to the four-liter V8 under the hood, but Carroll Shelby took care to tune it to a higher spec. A ZF six-speed manual transmission carried the momentum to the wheels.
The U.S. company had planned to produce 500 such cars, but ended up making only 249. The first cars shipped a few years later than planned and cost substantially more than Shelby promised. They could still have sold well given the company’s reputation, but major quality issues prevented that.
Now, Wingard Motorsports has announced a continuation series of just 10 cars. They will be called “Series 2” and ship with a fixed top – the company has no plans for making roadsters. Out of these, 3 will be given all-new aluminum bodywork and cost from $498,000. The remaining 7 will boast a carbon-fiber body and start lower – from $386,000.
Neither of the prices includes the drivetrain. The company will offer is clients several engine/transmission combos to choose from. The cheapest option on the list comes in at $83,500 excluding installation costs.
It’s worth noting that all cars will be given authentic Shelby VIN codes and entered into the classic vehicle register of the American company. Back in 2018, Wingard built and sold four Series 2 roadsters (see video). It has now concluded that there was enough demand four 10 more coupes like that.