It is quite common for people to think of a Shelby G.T.350 or G.T.500 as just a souped up Ford Mustang. If you think about it, they're really not wrong. But, at the same time, it's just not true. After seeing and hearing these things in person, I can tell you that they are something else entirely. They're something special and unique. Something that Carroll Shelby himself poured his heart, soul, and passion into. If you've ever heard the roar of a Shelby engine, you know what I'm talking about. And it all starts with the man in front.

Carroll Shelby: The man behind it all

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Carroll Shelby was about as American as you could get. He grew up in Texas and joined the Army Air Force as a flight instructor. After World War II, he left and started drag racing in a flathead-powered Ford. It wasn't long before he started his racing career, which lead up to him driving for Aston Martin at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After his racing career ended due to heart problems, Shelby began working with AC Cars to build the first Cobra with their chassis and a small-block Ford V8. The car was entered into some races with little success, but was proven to be lighter and faster than Chevy's ultimate performance car, the Corvette. Shelby then began the development of the Daytona Coupe with a 427 cubic inch V8 under the hood. This car could reach speeds up to 200 mph and was capable of beating Ferrari 250 GTO's around the race track. This caught the attention of Ford, who were in a little bit of trouble because of the brand's lack of a performance image. With Ford's help, Shelby was able to build a new Cobra, this time with the 427, which had massive success against Ferrari in racing. Then there was the Ford GT40; the car that essentially saved Ford when it beat Ferrari at Le Mans. And do you know who helped them build it? That's right! Carroll Shelby! And with that, we come to our main point; the G.T.350 and the G.T.500.

The legendary Shelby Cobra

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The 200 mph Shelby Daytona Coupe

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The Ferrari-smoking Ford GT40

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With this massive racing heritage behind him, Ford's Mustang could never be the same in the hands of Carroll Shelby, and Ford knew it. In fact, they counted on it. They enlisted Shelby to turn it into a race car for the road, and that's exactly what he did. The car was better than anyone could have imagined, with re-engineered suspension, an upgraded 289 cubic inch V8, weight reduction in the form of a rear seat delete and a fiberglass hood, and a special signature paint job; white with blue stripes. This was no longer a Mustang. It had evolved into something else entirely. It was a thoroughbred muscle car for the race track and the street. It was a monster, and it was called the G.T.350.

The 1965 Shelby G.T.350: A legend from the start

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Just when it couldn't get any better, Shelby outdid himself again with another, somehow more monstrous transformation of the Mustang. This time, the car had a 427 cubic inch V8 under the hood and upgraded aerodynamics with plenty of functional air scoops for extra cooling. Later on, it received the legendary 428 "Cobra Jet" V8. These engines, the former being dubbed the "Cobra Le Mans", combined with the lightness of a Mustang and the improved aerodynamics, made the new Shelby one of the fastest cars of its day, easily competing with the top performance of the muscle cars from GM and Chrysler. The G.T.500, as it was called, was second pretty much only to the Ford GT40. The G.T.500 is also a particularly special car because it was the one that Carroll Shelby said he was most proud of in his car building carrier. It was also the last car he approved for production before he passed away in 2012. This Shelby established itself as something completely different from the Mustang, just like the G.T.350, and lives on as a legend in the history of American automobiles. It also lives on as a trim package for the Ford Mustang today. The G.T.350 is also a current Mustang trim package.

The 1967 Shelby G.T.500: It barely even resembles a Mustang anymore

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So now you see that there is no such thing as a "Ford Mustang Shelby". That is, unless it's a brand new one, because Ford now builds the G.T.350 and the G.T.500 in their own factory rather than Shelby. But that's besides the point. The point is, when you look at what appears to be a Mustang, or at least a 2014 or earlier model, and you see the Cobra logo in its grill or on its front fender, know that it is something incredibly special. It has an epic racing heritage behind it as well as the passion of the man who's name is on it. Zach and I recently met this awesome guy at a car wash who owns a 2010 G.T.500. Even at its lowest RPM, the engine made the best sound we had ever heard in our lives. The rumble of a Shelby V8 is like no other. It is something truly spectacular. And now, it's my dream car.

CS stands for Carroll Shelby, and we should all absolutely be thanking him

A Shelby is not a Mustang. It is something else entirely.