Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 “Eleanor” Is Not for Sale After All

Update at 18:16: As it turns out, this “Eleanor” Mustang is not for sale. See the latest developments at the end of the article.

In 2000, the remake of “Gone in 60 Seconds” reached cinemas. While Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie starred in the film, one of its leading characters was a 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - better known to most as “Eleanor”.

The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 from “Gone in 60 Seconds”

Designed by Chip Foose and Steve Stanford, the “Eleanor” Mustang seen on screen won an army of admirers. It inspired countless replicas and significantly increased the value of the original cars built for the production.

Cinema Vehicle Services created 11 “Eleanor” Mustangs for the film, with only three reportedly still surviving. One was auctioned in the United States a year ago, fetching the remarkable sum of 852,500 dollars (just over €718,000). That was far above the already ambitious initial estimate of 500-600 thousand dollars - proof of the appeal of this exceptionally special and devilish machine.

Mustang “Eleanor” No. 7

Another original “Eleanor” has now emerged, rather unexpectedly on this side of the Atlantic. It is in Germany, where it is owned by Chrome Cars.

This is car No. 7 of the 11 examples built. Chrome Cars has owned it since 2017, and it featured in several scenes from the film - could this have been the one escaping the helicopter? We would like to think so… “Go, Baby, Go” The fantasy is real!

Mileage and mechanical specification

This “Eleanor” Mustang has covered 117,184 km, a substantial figure that confirms it has not simply been kept as a display piece; it has been driven regularly. Under the bonnet sits a Ford Racing V8 crate engine - an engine sold separately - paired with a four-speed manual gearbox.

Chrome Cars has not disclosed the asking price for this “Eleanor” Mustang. However, considering what the other example achieved at auction, it is unlikely to change hands for a modest amount, especially as it is a genuine film-used car rather than one of the many replicas.

Update: It is not for sale after all

Our thanks go to reader João Neves, who directed us to a recent post on Chrome Cars’ Instagram account denying that its Ford Mustang “Eleanor” is for sale. The original report claiming an “Eleanor” was available came from Robb Report and, given the car involved, spread across the internet like wildfire.

Chrome Cars’ post, however, states that the report is untrue, hence this clarification. The company says it received hundreds of emails requesting a price for such a valuable machine, but its “Eleanor” will remain part of its private collection.

We also learned that, if Chrome Cars were to sell it, the price would be far higher than the figures achieved at auction. We reported that the most recent example sold for more than 850 thousand dollars, but another was auctioned for one million dollars in 2013. In addition to the car itself, Chrome Cars owns the fibreglass moulds used to produce the unique bodywork parts fitted to the cars seen in “Gone in 60 Seconds”. That said, it has not ruled out a sale should the right person appear with “very deep pockets”.

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