A stolen 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 was recently recovered from a field in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On the one hand, having your stolen car returned is pretty rare. On the other hand, this Shelby Mustang wasn’t returned in such a way that any owner would be excited to see.

Stolen Shelby Mustang GT500 recovered 

A local tip to the Tulsa PD led to the recovery of this stolen 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500. This field was also home to a number of other derelict cars and other discarded items.

Autoblog reports that the Shelby was sitting in the field stripped of almost half of its body panels, hood, doors, and other exterior bits. Thankfully Shelby’s coveted engine, along with many other mechanical parts, was still intact by the time the police found it. 

“The GT-500 was covered with brush and cardboard boxes, and located in a very rural area near Mounds,” the Tulsa Police Department posted to its Facebook page. “The vehicle is intact, but the hood, doors, and front fender were all removed. The engine is intact, but the car has a lot of damage.”

How did police find this stolen Mustang? 

As we mentioned before, a local tip pointed the Tulsa PD’s detectives toward the field. “Auto Theft Detectives also found a stolen dump truck and a stolen sedan on the same property,” the department said. “Tips from the public and interviews led detectives to this area, where an aerial search was conducted that led to us finding the stolen Mustang.”

One of the main suspects in the theft is said to have been hired by the car’s owner as a mover. The car was reportedly stored in a locked warehouse. The going theory is that this is where the car was stolen from. 

How much is a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 worth? 

Aside from the car’s coolness, this mythical muscle car is quite rare and valuable. According to Autoblog, Hagerty gives the ’67 GT500 a starting value of $120,000. If you’re wondering why the thieves didn’t just sell the stolen car, well, cars worth that much bread is often examined and picked over relentlessly. This is not what you want when selling a hot car. 

What engine came in the ‘67 Shelby Mustang GT500? 

The GT350 got the same 427-ci engine from the Ford GT40. The GT500, however, got the 428-ci police interceptor, modified to increase output and provide the performance that Shelby envisioned for the GT500.

According to Mustangspecs.com, Shelby fitted the 428 V8 with a medium-rise aluminum intake manifold and twin Holley 600-Cfm 4-barrel carburetors. The 428 cubic-inch V8 was conservatively rated as producing 355 bhp in its refined form. However, many have surmised that the engine’s true output was much higher.

The Shelby GT cars came with a variety of options, colors, and performance specs. Buyers could choose between the standard 4-speed RUGS-1 manual transmission or a 3-speed automatic alternative. Power was directed through a 3.50 Traction-Lok rear end. 

Mustangspecs also says the GT500 was “fitted with stiffer front springs, an upgraded anti-roll bar, and Gabriel shock absorbers. Front disc brakes also came standard on the GT500, enabling drivers to better manage the immense power which the Shelby provided.”

All of this performance in 1967 made for quite the car. These were special then, and they are still special today.