Carroll Shelby catches a cold, first 2010 GT500 rescheduled for Palm Beach auction

If you were watching the Barrett-Jackson auction on SPEED on Saturday evening, you might have noticed that a fairly important car wasn't shown crossing the block - the first retail production 2010 Shelby GT500. Did they auction the car off during a commercial? Nope, in fact the car wasn't auctioned at all. We, among many others, were disappointed not to see the car sell, especially with the first Camaro selling earlier in the evening. We asked around, and the official word from Barrett-Jackson is that Carroll Shelby caught a cold in the last few days and was unable to make it to Scottsdale. Since both Ford and Shelby wanted Carroll to be there when the car was auctioned off, the sale was rescheduled for the Palm Beach event in April. By that time production GT500s should be rolling off the assembly line, so instead of the winning bidder buying the rights to the first car, Carroll Shelby will pick out the options and colors and sell the actual vehicle. Will it be the same Grabber Blue with Red stripes like the car we saw in Detroit? Something tells us it will be something more conventional. Until then, get well Carroll!

Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
2010 Shelby GT500 Description:

Since 2006, Ford Motor Company and Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction have offered bidders the first opportunity to purchase rare, high performance Ford products, while contributing to a worthy charity. This year in Scottsdale, the tradition continues as Ford and Barrett-Jackson will sell the first retail version of the new 2010 Shelby GT500. With world-class handling, aggressive styling, and 540 horsepower, the latest generation Shelby GT500 will deliver unparalleled performance. All proceeds from the sale of this vehicle will go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Over the last three years Ford and Barrett-Jackson have raised over $2.0 million dollars for charity through the auction of Ford Motor Company Products. The winning bidder will be given an opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause while making automotive history.