Carroll Shelby is a legend, however not the whole lot he constructed was legendary. Living proof: the Sequence 1 roadster he designed and engineered within the ’90s. The automobile’s journey to manufacturing was riddled with problems and setbacks, with Shelby American finally churning out simply 249 copies. Certainly one of them is presently up for public sale on Carry a Trailer, which—like Automobile and Driver—is a part of Hearst Autos.
Cobra Connection
Simply because the 1999 Shelby Sequence 1, pictured right here in Centennial Silver with Garnet Purple metallic stripes, did not fairly dwell as much as the bold objectives set by its iconic creator does not imply it is nonetheless not cool as hell. Simply have a look at the factor. Its resemblance to the unique Shelby Cobras is simple, and that curvy bodywork is alleged to be extraordinarily light-weight, because it’s made from carbon fiber and fiberglass. The Sequence 1 had a claimed curb weight of 2650 kilos.
The Playskool-like inside is not so enticing. Actually, it is fairly embarrassing for a automobile that after value about the identical as a Ferrari 360 Spider when each have been new. Shut inspection reveals elements from a fourth-generation Pontiac Firebird; one want look no additional than the retrofitted gauge cluster, HVAC controls, and door handles to identify the connection.
Nonetheless, nobody who purchased a Sequence 1 seemingly anticipated a luxurious inside—or apparently one which had any cupholders or space for storing in any way. The roadster was additionally notoriously unfriendly to driver’s over six ft tall, as the usual seating positions put the highest of the windshield instantly of their line of sight.
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It is form of humorous to suppose a automobile as costly and performance-focused because the Shelby Sequence 1 would share an engine with a front-wheel-drive Oldsmobile Aurora, however that is precisely the place its DOHC 4.0-liter V-8 was sourced from.
With out the non-obligatory Vortech supercharger, which is alleged to have been a virtually $20K add-on, the usual engine within the Sequence 1 produced 320 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque. Sending that energy to the rear wheels is a six-speed guide transaxle, and the eight-cylinder soundtrack was delivered by way of a Borla exhaust system with a set of distinguished tailpipes poking out the again.
Again in 2000, Automobile and Driver icon Brock Yates reviewed a 1999 Shelby Sequence 1 that appears similar to the instance presently up for public sale. Regardless of mechanical snafus throughout two separate assessments, the supercharged roadster shot to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and cleared the quarter-mile in 13.0 seconds at 112 mph. Its Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires, measurement 265/40R18 up entrance and 315/R18 out again, helped it publish 0.92 g of grip on the skidpad. Each Sequence 1 additionally had race-car-derived pushrod suspension.
But its spectacular efficiency and complicated chassis weren’t sufficient to offset its different shortcomings, with Yates summarizing the automobile like this: “The Shelby Sequence 1 is basically an outstanding idea however stays a piece in progress. When all of the bugs are labored out, we’re eagerly awaiting one other name from the person whose title is on this fascinating however nonetheless unproved sports activities automobile.”
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Senior Editor
Eric Stafford’s vehicle habit started earlier than he may stroll, and it has fueled his ardour to put in writing information, critiques, and extra for Automobile and Driver since 2016. His aspiration rising up was to turn out to be a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like automobile assortment. Apparently, getting wealthy is tougher than social-media influencers make it appear, so he averted monetary success completely to turn out to be an automotive journalist and drive new automobiles for a dwelling. After incomes a level at Central Michigan College and dealing at a each day newspaper, the years of principally burning cash on failed challenge automobiles and lemon-flavored jalopies lastly paid off when Automobile and Driver employed him. His storage presently features a 2010 Acura RDX, a guide ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.
