Naples’ World First: Unveiling of a ‘Rocketship’ Shelby before Cars on Fifth
Walk up to a Shelby GT500 KR and you can practically feel the wind pinning your ears back already. Put a little toe on the accelerator pedal and you could probably peel all the way down Fifth Avenue South.
Walk up to a Shelby GT500 KR and you can practically feel the wind pinning your ears back already. Put a little toe on the accelerator pedal and you could probably peel all the way down Fifth Avenue South.
But with all the high-performance statistics about the 2013-14 performance car (662 horsepower, 631 pounds per foot of torque, 3.5-second 0-60 mph capabilities), it would still be little brother to the star of the Naples Automotive Experience Feb. 1-4: the unveiling of the Shelby American Series 2.
“This usually happens in L.A. or Las Vegas, where their headquarters are,” said Greg Vilk, the Marco Island Shelby enthusiast who negotiated the first-ever major exhibition for Shelbys here. “Excited” is an understated description of how he feels about the upcoming unveiling, at the opening high-ticket Jetport reception Thursday, Feb. 1. (There will be other opportunities to see the Series 2; see the information box for details on the entire weekend.)
Only 10, and ours is first
Only 10 of the model Naples will see—the first new Shelby American Series car since 1999—are being built. Six of them are sold already.
Vilk can give limited information about it before the unveiling, but allowed most people will be able to tell at least one thing from its fitted cover: The new one is a coupe.
These cars will also depart from a shirtsleeves-up feel: “They are every bit of the fit and finish of the museum cars or any Ferraris out there,” Vilk said. “And that’s not an exaggeration. It is not a typical or standard-build Shelby.” The unveiling is bringing an unprecedented entourage to Naples. The president and vice president of Shelby America, along with Sean Shelby, grandson of company founder Carroll Shelby, will be here for the whole weekend. That includes time to talk with the public at the Cars on 5th Concours. They’re bringing 25 Shelbys, including aluminum-body prototypes that have never traveled before; Cobras, its winning racing machines; and several of the coveted Cobra Ford Mustangs from the early 1960s. Even two Shelby motorcycles will rumble in—only five were built.
“Most Shelby guys don’t even know they built a motorcycle,” Vilk said.
Shelby’s management thinks this may be the largest display of Shelbys ever in one place, according to Tom O’Riordan, president of Ferrari Club of America—Naples Chapter, which sponsors Naples Automotive Experience. While he drives a Ferrari, O’Riordan admires the Shelby dedication to speed: “Those cars are rocket ships,” he said. The Shelby brand will have its own Park Street assembly area.
Other high-class friends
Still, the Shelby is only one of many attractions. Among the 150 Ferraris coming are some extremely new—the PuroSangue, its first four-door—and some extremely rare. One of the latter is the 1950s 410 Sport Spider, with its stretch oval grille and a hood vast enough to sunbathe on while you’re making romantic small talk with Rossano Brazzi. You can also inspect a California Spider, the sexy mode of transportation from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
There are 100 Porsches, 40 “supercar” models and several Bugatti Chirons, as well as a McLaren P1, a car to which the Batmobile could only aspire. Lamborghinis? Aston Martins? Rolls-Royces and Bentleys? Of course. And American vintage cars from boomer blossoming time until today, including muscle cars, cruisers and Corvettes, as well as a British retinue.
“Pretty much every mark is represented,” O’Riordan said, then corrected himself. “Every high-end mark.”
There are hopes that the car of racing legend Stirling Moss will be there, but transportation delays from Italy may not allow that. Cars on 5th and the Naples Automotive Experience auction receive cars from Europe and Canada, as well as all around the U.S.; among the entries last year was a model from Croatia.
Naples Automotive Experience organizes the annual Naples Motor Experience as the major fundraiser for St. Matthew’s House, bringing in more than $1 million for it annually. St. Matthews House operates a shelter, transitional life center, restaurant and training center for people who are homeless or in addiction recovery. The organization operates the only homeless shelters in Collier County—the Campbell Lodge in Naples and Immokalee Friendship House—as well as transitional housing.
Nearly 400 men, women and children are sheltered by St. Matthew’s House every night.
Last November it dedicated a proactive program center to get at the root of its residents’ needs: educational programming and mentorship. The 3,600-square-foot Scott and Dolly McCartan Empowerment Hub offers continuing education for job seekers; classes in life skills, financial literacy and home ownership; and local workforce development.
Also among the curriculum topics are critical thinking, public speaking and teamwork. Alumni activities will provide socialization, reinforcement and networking opportunities to those in the program.
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What: The Naples Chapter of Ferrari Club of America sponsors Southwest Florida’s biggest car show and auction, with proceeds supporting the St. Matthew’s House mission to provide food, shelter and services to the homeless and recovering in Southwest Florida. A cars-and-coffee timed to it, but separately sponsored, is marked with an asterisk*
When, where and admission for public events:
6-10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1. Jetport Reception at Naples Airport with a sneak preview of the new Shelby American Shelby Series 2 car and views of the rare Shelby motorcycles. Exotic cars, jets, planes, helicopters and more showcased. Cigar lounge, wine tasting, food and music. $500. Reservations required at events@ stmatthewshouse.org or naplesautomotiveexperience.org *10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2. Cars & Coffee at the Revs Institute, 2500 S. Horseshoe Drive, Naples, with an al fresco showing of the Shelby American Series 2 and Shelby autos, along with other vehicles. Food vendors will also be there. Revs, which generally requires reservations, will allow tickets to be sold on a walk-in basis for people who want to see the automotive museum.
Noon-4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2. Naples Motorcar Auction at Ultimate Garages of Naples, 3101 Terrace Ave., Naples, in partnership with the Saratoga with about 75 lots of exotic, luxury and collector cars and 25 of auto memorabilia at auction; advance registration, $200; day of auction, $300. Spectator passes, $50.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. Naples Automotive Experience Cars on 5th Concours on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples, showing 700 cars, including 150-plus Ferraris and other exotic and vintage muscle cars. Admission wristbands on advance sale at stmatthewshouse.org and St. Matthew’s House thrift stores—$35; $40 at the gate.
Youth admission (age 4 through 15) $10.
Advance VIP all-access admission, including to its Scuderia, with food, beverages and special autos on display, this year at the Cambier Park west softball diamond, $125.
Sunday, Feb. 4. Private car rally, by invitation only, as a weekend finale.
Where to buy: naplesautomotiveexperience. org, stmatthewshouse.org and St. Matthew’s House thrift stores; or at the gate