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 When Ford began to get more involved in Shelby American's affairs in 1966, it at least picked the right man to send to Shelby
as that company's new chief engineer, Fred Goodell. A hot rodder at
heart, Goodell built many a souped-up Mustang for the Shelby works,
including the fuel-injected and independent rear suspension-equipped
one-off Green Hornet, which Barrett-Jackson recently announced will
cross the block at its Scottsdale auction.
Officially known as the EXP 500, the Green Hornet's genesis began
with another Goodell-built car, a 1967 Mustang hardtop that he called
Li'l Red. Fitted with Shelby decor and a Paxton-supercharged 428, Li'l
Red eventually served as the template for the Mustang GT/California
Special and very nearly became the template for a similar national
version of the California Special. Ford in fact built two prototypes for
a national version, including a Lime Gold 1968 Mustang hardtop with
Deluxe interior and a 390/C6 drivetrain (VIN 8F01S104288), before
round-filing the idea.
That Lime Gold hardtop then made its way to Shelby's facility - at the
time located in Ionia, Michigan - after Ford canceled its program.
Goodell likely had a hand in the transfer, and once it arrived in
Shelby's shops, he tore into it. He replaced the 390 with a 428 Cobra
Jet V-8 topped with a Conelec electronic fuel-injection system - Ford
was already testing the systems to see how they would meet upcoming
emissions regulations, so it was little trouble for Goodell to secure a
system - and replaced the stock C6 with a C6 built to F350
specifications. He then swapped out the live rear axle for an
independent rear suspension based around a Ford 9-inch center section
and a cradle that bolted into the rear leaf spring mounts. Rear disc
brakes and a full Shelby front suspension rounded out Goodell's
mechanical modifications, while darker gold-flecked green paint and a
black vinyl top gave it some visual pop.
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