He had 20 years a car thrown outdoors without knowing that it is a jewel that is worth a fortune: thus it was restored

02/21/2020 - 9:00

• Clarín.com
• Cars

An auction company made an incredible discovery in the United States by finding abandoned in a field a super exclusive car worth a fortune.

Its owner did not know that the vehicle that had been thrown outdoors in Texas for 20 years , and that gradually deteriorated, is an exclusive prototype that Ford launched in 1967.

It is a Shelby GT500 EXP and its version was called Little Red .

That's how Shelby Little Red was when they discovered him (Craig Jackson)

"The discovery of Little Red, after years of searching, is considered one of the most important findings in the history of American car collectors ," Barrett-Jackson said on his website.

"This Shelby prototype was one of the most sought-after vehicles by experts since the 1960s. They believed it had been destroyed . I am excited to announce that we have found the Little Red and intend to meticulously restore it to return this legendary car to its original glory, "said the president of the auction company, Craig Jackson.

Now, he published on his website the photos of the vehicle made again, and it is estimated that its value amounts to at least US $ 1,500,000 .

The Shelby Little Red restored in all its original glory. It could reach a value of US $ 1,500,000. (Craig Jackson)

The Shelby Little Red next to the Green Hornet, both restored by the same team. (Craig Jackson)

The search for the Shelby Little Red

The Little Red was an "experimental" car jointly created by Ford Motor Company and Shelby American. It served as a prototype for what a year later ended up being the Ford Mustang California Special , a vehicle that went on sale in 1968.

The specialists did know that after the launch of California, the Little Red had been sent to a warehouse . And they suspected that it had been destroyed.

Deteriorated. The car was restored by the team that found it. (Barrett-Jacksons)

The idea of ​​finding this prototype came during the restoration of another that is also legendary: the Shelby coupe Green Hornet .

Both the Little Red and the Green Hornet were the only two coupes developed to carry the Shelby brand .

Rusty. The car was 20 years outdoors. (Barrett-Jacksons)

"After our initial investigation, we realized that we were using an incorrect search criteria . Everyone was looking for the Little Red using the Shelby serial number. We took a different approach and located the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of Ford, which was not easy to detect. That VIN took us to its original record and finally to its last owner, "said Jason Billups, one of the restaurateurs who participated in the finding.

So it was that in February 2018 they found the owner through social networks and agreed to meet in Texas. Days later, on March 3, Billups arrived at the property where the car was abandoned for the past 20 years .

The restaurateur said that the owner, of whom he did not transcend the name, did not know that he had Shelby American Shelby Experimental Coupe 1967 , which was now restored in all its original glory.