Legendary Shelby prototype Little Red found rotting in North Texas field after 50 years

Shelby American once built a legendary prototype that has been rotting in a North Texas field for 50 years.

Back in 1967, Shelby built a prototype that quickly became the stuff of legend.

It very quickly became known as Little Red – after the bright color adorning its body.

But it has now been found – and it has been rotting in a North Texas field for more than five decades.

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Shelby American creates one-of-one prototype

Shelby American is arguably the most iconic name in the history of the US car industry.

It was, of course, founded by the icon himself – Mr Carroll Shelby.

Of course, Shelby was most revered for his work on the AC Cobra and the Ford Mustang.

But did you know that he once built an incredibly special prototype called Little Red?

The year was 1967, and the Shelby name was rightly held in the highest regard across the US auto industry.

That year, the company built one of the most special prototype cars of all time.

The car in question – Little Red – was never actually meant for the public eye.

It was developed at the marque’s Los Angeles facility, serving as an experimental vehicle.

The car itself was actually commissioned by Fred Goodell, Carroll Shelby’s chief engineer.

It also came hot off the back of Ford’s immortal victory at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Officially labeled the GT500 EXP, this was unlike any Shelby ever created before.

For one thing, it came with a hardtop roof – the only Shelby to ever come with one.

Originally finished in Candy Apple Red with a black vinyl roof, this car was truly special.

And under the hood, the story only kept getting better.

One found a 428 cu-in V8 – the same engine used in the 1967 Shelby GT500.

But this time, the company fitted a Paxton supercharger to the engine – and even reportedly ran twin superchargers at one point.

Other elements were tested by engineers, including aerodynamic elements such as side scoops and the tail panel.

This car, then, really was the blueprint for the next generation of high-performance Ford cars.

Little Red finally found after five decades

Right, so we know how special Little Red was – but what actually happened to it?

Like many prototypes of its era, its career was sadly short-lived.

Once Shelby and the Blue Oval completed their testing, the car was shipped off to Dearborn, Michigan.

By the 1970s, even company insiders believed that the prototype had been destroyed.

For more than 50 years, hushed rumors and whispers floated possible sightings of Little Red.

That assumption became the standard, until the CEO of Barrett-Jackson Auctions stepped in.

Craig Jackson, himself a devoted Mustang collector, was determined to find out what had happened to Little Red.

 Partnering with restorer Jason Billups, Jackson launched a search for the car in the mid-2010s.

Several months of digging eventually led to a lead pointing towards North Texas.

Jackson finally found the car – and boy, was it in a rough state.

When experts arrived to inspect it, they confirmed through VIN and original Shelby markings that this was, without question, Little Red.

Thankfully, Jackson spent the next several months painstakingly restoring every detail of the car after its 50-year stint in a North Texas field.

Its discovery sent shockwaves through the car industry, with many believing Little Red to have been lost to history.

Today, it is valued at significantly north of the $1 million mark – and is often paired with the Green Hornet, another prototype.

Little Red remains one of the best good-feel stories in the recent history of the car industry.