1972 Shelby Europa

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Indiana
My Car
1972 Mach 1
1976 Ford F150 4X4
1994 Caprice Wagon LT1
2004 Ford Focus ZX5
Anybody ever seen anything like these or heard of them. I met the owner and invited him to the forum but I didn't have a clue of what I was looking at. Thought you guys might to see some pics.

Here is a link to mustang monthly on these very cars

http://www.mustangmonthly.com/featuredvehicles/mump_0505_14_shelby_europa_mustangs_euro_european_mustang/viewall.html

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the rear trunk spoiler is custom by him

Who knows he may show up on here and comment on his car.

 
Those are really rare and this may be the only one not in Europe

See http://www.ponysite.de/sheleur.htm

The Shelby Europa was offered as a fastback (sportsroof) and convertible, both powered by a 351. Acc. to french and dutch sales literature they were offered in a G.T.500 version as well.

One at least had a 351 race engine with a 780cfm Holley carb and 360HP, another one a 429 with a Drag Pack option and closely 400HP.

The cars were not allowed to be re-imported to the US due to the then stronger safety and exhaust emissions regulations. Due to the high fuel prices, the demand for a Shelby Europe was not really big, only scandinavians did not care as for most muscle cars in that period. Only 14 Shelby Europe were built and sold in 1971 and 1972. 9 are currently accounted for and on file of the SAAC.

There were 3 in the Netherlands, however the third dutch Shelby Europe of C.V. Bastiaanse has been stolen in 1987 and never appeared again. Watch out for a red one. One of the other one not yet found is the white 429 equipped Shelby Europa.

Only 2 of the 14 made are convertibles and both are currently owned by Rauno Harvima in Finland. NOTE: I guess staement this is incorrect?

I'd trade my 72 sprint convertible for it. :shy:

 
There are two Shelby Europa convertibles owned by Rauno Harvima of Finland. I know the owner, those cars are sweet and restored. That Mustang monthly article is pretty good and obviously Rauno had been interviewed. Once I bumped in to this forum I was thinking that I should try to get Rauno to visit here and make a presentation of his Shelbys. Rauno is a doctor and he's having a family so his time is limited and the rest of the time goes in his corral!!! In the first pictures where are the owners, it says that 1 convertible is owned by Ville Rajala of Finland. He was the previous owner of the green convertible before Rauno. I've seen the green Shelby Europa GT-350 convertible many times when I was still a young boy, since the previous owner lived close to my hometown. Rauno is very knowledgeable with Mustang restoration and his nick name is Doctor Mustang.

I'll need to tell you, that US Muscle cars were very inviting back the day but the price tag was 4 time bigger than the standard cars had in here. Imagine, they are selling today the new 5.0 GT Mustang in Finland for $120.000US, onehundred and twenty thousands - I AM NOT KIDDING. Now you can probably understand why the US cars are not so common in here or why we don't "like" them so much - unfortunately though.

 
There are two Shelby Europa convertibles owned by Rauno Harvima of Finland. I know the owner, those cars are sweet and restored. That Mustang monthly article is pretty good and obviously Rauno had been interviewed. Once I bumped in to this forum I was thinking that I should try to get Rauno to visit here and make a presentation of his Shelbys. Rauno is a doctor and he's having a family so his time is limited and the rest of the time goes in his corral!!! In the first pictures where are the owners, it says that 1 convertible is owned by Ville Rajala of Finland. He was the previous owner of the green convertible before Rauno. I've seen the green Shelby Europa GT-350 convertible many times when I was still a young boy, since the previous owner lived close to my hometown. Rauno is very knowledgeable with Mustang restoration and his nick name is Doctor Mustang.

I'll need to tell you, that US Muscle cars were very inviting back the day but the price tag was 4 time bigger than the standard cars had in here. Imagine, they are selling today the new 5.0 GT Mustang in Finland for $120.000US, onehundred and twenty thousands - I AM NOT KIDDING. Now you can probably understand why the US cars are not so common in here or why we don't "like" them so much - unfortunately though.
It would be so damn cool if Rauno joined :D

 
It would be so damn cool if Rauno joined :D
When I had just bought my Mach 1, Rauno visited our Mustang meet at the central Finland. He had back then at least the green GT-350 convertible in his collection, he was looking my Mach 1 grill... It should have the tribar pony as you all know, but my grill had and still has a Cobra instead of the pony. Rauno of course knew that it's not the original equipment on my Mach but he also knew that my Mach had then a strong 351c 4v in it, he was looking the grill for a while and said "it should have the tribar but you got a stroooong engine, so you can keep the Cobra" ;) I will contact Rauno and ask if he would be able to spend a little of his time for this great forum.

 
I thought the Shelby Europa's were never to be reimported back in to the usa?

and also the Marti Report states nothing about "Shelby, or Shelby Package"

and I thought the DSO would have been 99, or "New Jersey" beacuse thats where they were shipped through.

 
I thought the Shelby Europa's were never to be reimported back in to the usa?

and also the Marti Report states nothing about "Shelby, or Shelby Package"

and I thought the DSO would have been 99, or "New Jersey" beacuse thats where they were shipped through.
I know all the conversions were done over seas so probably would not show up on a marti report. And since it could not be imported back to USA, how could it be tagged here? I don't know much about the europa's but I know this one has the wrong grill. I smell a fake here (or could just be the baked beans) :D

 
I thought the Shelby Europa's were never to be reimported back in to the usa?
Maybe so, but think about it: What about the VIN would prevent it from being considered different than any other Mustang by the powers that be?

-Kurt

 
After doing some research, this is what I found.

The 2 Convertibles made were 1971's not 1972's

the VIN's are 1F03M154425 and 1F03M202545

also as stated before they are owned by the same owner Rauno Harvima in Finland

one is Grabber Green, the other is Med Brown Metallic.

they All Shelby Europa's had a DOS of 33 (Detroit) because they were Ordered through Bob Ford in Detroit.

I got the info from the following web site.

http://www.ponysite.de/sheleur.htm

so I think the above car is not a Fake, just a Clone Shelby Europa and not the real deal!! But it is still a nice looking car.

 
Yup, for all I know this one is a fake, or let´s say a tribute car, as they like to refer to them today. AFAIK there were only two made and this one is not one of ´em.

His display says there were five convertibles made...... I dunno, I wasn´t there at the time. But it goes against everything commonly known about those cars.

I think the "no import to the US" clause was probably only for when they were new.

Remember that those Shelbys had nothing to do with Ford, as FOMOCO and Shelby had already ended their relationship.

The dealer Dubois knew Shelby and talked him into a special run that only he sold. So I would guess that there might have been legal issues with selling them in the US as Shelby was no longer affiliated with Ford. Because it was a small special run in Europe, they would have been off Ford´s Radar.

I think that now that they have become collector´s cars, they can be imported no matter where as there are no more issues with interfering with company policies.

 
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"Tribute car" / "Clone" sound much better then a Fake :D

but most of his data on the sign is not accurate, either he bought it this way and that's what he was told, so that's all he knows about it, or its the story he is selling to make it sound like the real deal, then sell it for a mini fortune to an unknowing buyer.

 
Well you guys know your stuff like I said I didn't even know what I was looking at. To be real blunt I was hoping it was a "tribute" car because he did a custom spoiler on it and If it was the real deal my first thought was "man you just cost yourself some money". Never the less he seemed to be a very nice man and he enjoys his car so I guess in the end thats all that matters. Good research and Info everyone. By the way I kinda like the custom rear spoiler been kicking it around myself when the time comes.

 
Never the less he seemed to be a very nice man and he enjoys his car so I guess in the end thats all that matters.
Very true, as long as you enjoy what you have.
+10



The card alone tells the story "only 14 built" and then says "11 fastbacks and 5 verts" you do the math
LOL :D

 
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Yeah - it's like saying you have the 51st 72 sprint convertible built. :rolleyes:
its funny you say that, years ago when I bought my Mustang, thats exactly what my plan was a Tribute Sprint, but I changed my mind when I realized my car was 95% untouched.

One of these days I'll get the real deal Sprint Vert, or maybe even a Tribute one. :D

I'm watching one on E-bay, I think you know the seller :D

 
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Yeah - it's like saying you have the 51st 72 sprint convertible built. :rolleyes:
its funny you say that, years ago when I bought my Mustang, thats exactly what my plan was a Tribute Sprint, but I changed my mind when I realized my car was 95% untouched.

One of these days I'll get the real deal Sprint Vert, or maybe even a Tribute one. :D

I'm watching one on E-bay, I think you know the seller :D
Your in luck...just happens to be one for sale on here:D

 
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