Summarize

South African exotic bakkie — or should that be exotic truck fans — now have something to really look forward to with the imminent arrival of the all-new 2019 Shelby F-150 ready for South African roads in right hand drive.

“We are delighted to confirm that the order book is open for a limited number of 565 kilowatt Shelby F150 bakkies to satisfy the ultimate needs of South African bakkie owners,” Shelby South Africa CEO Peter Lindenberg confirmed. “Based on the Ford F150 — the most popular vehicle on the face of the earth — the Shelby F150 will be available in standard 565kW form or in exclusive Baja trim complete with a full Fox Suspension system - this particular model has the all new 3.5l V6 twin turbo motor. "The bakkies will be converted to right hand drive at Hi-tech Automotive, Shelby’s approved F 150 upgrade facility.

“This Shelby truck also has room for everyone and everything to make you feel like the King of the World behind the wheel, while delivering all the rugged capabilities you need for an outdoor adventure and every bit of the sophistication you want for a night on the town. “The Shelby F150 represents a rare opportunity to acquire a bit of real bakkie history, but we urge prospective buyers to contact Shelby South Africa as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

“We will only be building a limited number of what’s clearly set to become South Africa’s King of Bakkies,” Lindenberg concluded. “Only 500 Shelby F150s will be built around the world, with each bakkie entered into the Shelby American Registry.”

The ultimate F150 is powered by a 565kW Shelby engineered supercharged 5-litre V8 complete with aluminium performance heat exchanger and an upgraded billet throttle body; upgraded high performance fuel injectors and a Shelby-tuned Borla Performance Exhaust system finished with dual black ceramic tips. An enhanced Ford Racing Blue powder coated blower and open air performance intake has an oversized carbon fibre air intake tube with a high flow filter under dual-intake Shelby Ram Air Super Snake hood, while front fender vents assist with engine cooling.

 

The Shelby F150 is based on Ford’s fully loaded US-spec F150 Lariat Luxury but adds 20” Shelby engraved alloy wheels shod with BF-Goodrich KO 235/12.50R20 all-terrain tyres complete with speedo and tyre sensor recalibration. Riding on Shelby BDS suspension with rear performance traction bars, the Baja option adds an exclusive optional Shelby-engineered Fox Shock System with Raptor-style 2.5” Fox Aluminium Reservoir dampers on all four wheels featuring flagship Internal Bypass Technology and adjustable dual speed controls to allow you to tune your truck from luxury car smooth to hardcore off-road or track handling. 

Shelby’s F150 is set apart by a honeycomb racing grille with a Shelby Snake insert atop a body colour custom front bumper and fender flares and vents. There’s a set of full body Shelby rally stripes running along the length of the truck, Shelby rocker panel graphics, hood, tailgate and bed branding and a Supercharged logo on hood air intakes and a Shelby Registry engine plaque. Add custom painted rear bumper cladding and a body colour solid Tonneau Cover with a Shelby bed liner, black powder coated step bars.

Inside the Shelby, F150 gets two-tone leather upholstered seats with Shelby Snake embroidered headrests and console lid, as well as a carbon fibre interior trim package, deep tinted windows, Shelby floor mats and a Shelby serial number dash plaque. 

The Shelby F150 comes with a  3 Year/50 000 km Shelby Warranty — orders are open only through Shelby SA and pricing is dependent on specification, but can be expected to range from around R2.5-million to R3-million all-in for top of the range Baja Raptor in right hand drive with full Shelby conversion and the Fox suspension. Log on to www.shelbysa.com or contact abbi@shelbysa.com for more information and to order your Shelby F150.