Shelby American Introduces The 2026 Shelby Gt350/ta

Shelby American announced another special-edition Shelby Mustang at the Barrett-Jackson 2026 Scottsdale Auction. Each release always focuses on a particular segment of the Shelby narrative, with this one being a track-focused Shelby GT350/TA to celebrate 60 years of the Trans Am racing series.

The Trans Am Manufacturers’ Championship debuted in 1966 with help from Shelby American, which built Mustangs with GT350R-spec parts. With talent like Jerry Titus, Peter Talbert, Ira Morrison, and Vic McClain racing Shelby American Group 2 Mustang notchbacks in the inaugural series, Ford clinched the championship in the Group 2 class.

“1966 was a dominant year for Shelby American in motor racing,” said Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American. “Shelby American helped Ford Motor Company win the FIA World Sportscar Championship, largely thanks to the legendary victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, along with SCCA B-production series with the Shelby GT350. Shelby’s efforts were vital in Ford’s overall Trans Am success, as the Mustangs’ points helped it win the first-ever Manufacturers’ Championship. We’re returning to those racing roots with this limited-edition car, which also portends many elements of our future Trans Am spec race car.”

Starting with the typical 2026 Shelby GT350 (which—let’s be honest—isn’t typical), the Shelby team focused on removing weight, sharpening its overall performance, and keeping everything cool at speed. Key differences include:

• New carbon fiber front splitter, front fender vents, rocker/splitter, grille, and fascia aero dive planes
• Shelby Performance hood with carbon fiber air extraction and painted Shelby ghost graphic
• Quad exhaust outlets with black tips
• Carbon tail panel with GT350/TA and 60^th Trans Am ghost graphics
• Quarter panel Shelby Racing Team matte-finish graphic for the 60^th anniversary package
• Trans Am-spec Forgeline wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires
• Pro-System Alcon Trans Am Cup brake package
• Safety cage with carbon fiber protective covers 
• New colors: Grabber Blue, Oxford White, Shadow Black, Orange Fury, Carbonized Gray, or Race Red with coordinated graphics package
• Shelby GT350/TA door graphic

“The 2026 Shelby GT350/TA is an amazing car that builds upon the 60^th anniversary model Shelby GT350R that we introduced last year,” said Gary Patterson, President of Shelby American. “This sports car is designed to be competitive on both the street and track. Our motorsports roots are deep, and we continue to bring that championship DNA to every car we build.”

Unusual for a street-legal car is the carbon fiber interior “tub” plus integrated roll cage, Trans Am-spec high-speed carbon fiber aero package, fully adjustable race struts and shocks with remote reservoirs, new Alcon racing brakes, numerous chassis upgrades, and more. Power comes from an 830-plus-horsepower supercharged V8 (with the supercharger available for post-title sales only). You can have any transmission that you want as long as it’s a six-speed manual.

Seventy cars are planned for 2026, all built in Michigan in collaboration with Turn Key Automotive/Motorsports. The GT350/TA will only be available directly through Shelby American, with each vehicle documented in the official Shelby Registry. 

“Working with Shelby American has been a great adventure for our team,” said Turn Key owner Rich Rinke. “It is exciting to help Shelby connect enthusiasts with motorsports through limited edition cars that leverage our extensive competition experience. This incredible car will impress any serious racer.”

Pricing starts at $219,970 (including the 401A 2026 Mustang GT used as a base); updates on the Trans Am-spec vehicle that is planned to enter the 2026 race season will come soon. Individuals interested in a Shelby vehicle can visit their local dealer or go to Shelby.com.