2004 Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept

Paying Tribute to the Past but Looking to the Future

Whoa! I could hardly believe my eyes when I first caught a glimpse of Ford's new Shelby GR-1 concept that debuted at the Pebble

Ford's new Shelby GR-1 concept, unveiled last weekend, is simply breathtaking to look at. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

Beach Concours d'Elegance last weekend.

The design is breathtaking. Not like the Pitbull meets Rottweiler Shelby Cobra concept (see archives) that rocked Detroit earlier this year, but more like the Mercury Messenger concept (also see archives) that quietly made its entrance at the 2003 Detroit show, amid a whack of Ford Motor, Chrysler Group and GM concepts.

Like the Messenger, the Shelby GR-1 is '60s sleek, pulling cues from cars like the Cheetah and even Chevy's Stingray and Mako

Designed by George Saridakis at Ford's Irvine Advanced Design Studio, the GR-1 is meant to conjure up memories of the once dominant Cobra Daytona Coupe. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

Shark Corvettes. Of course, being that Shelby has put his stamp on the project, the GR-1 is meant to conjure up memories of the once dominant Cobra Daytona Coupe, especially noticeable at the rear where a prominent concave Kamm-tail makes a performance-at-all-costs visual statement.

It was designed by George Saridakis at Ford's Irvine Advanced Design Studio, who initially penned a sketch that caught the imagination of the automaker's head of design J. Mays.

"George produced this completely resolved sketch - the best I've seen in 10 years," stated Mays. "When I saw it, it wasn't a matter of 'Let's do more sketches.' It was really more of a 'Let's get this into clay.'"