Think about it: Those two great American icons of the automobile, Mickey Thompson and Carroll Shelby, never cooperated on a vehicle together, in large part because each man’s road map through the industry and racing took such very different courses. Shelby was a Le Mans winner and a folk hero of international sports cars. Thompson was a hardcore hot rodder and drag racer who attacked Bonneville, Indianapolis and later largely invented stadium off-road competition. If both these guys had sidled up to each other in life and decided to cooperate on a vehicle design, we have a reasonable idea of what might have resulted. Here it is.
You notice they even got the color right? This is the 2021 Ford Shelby F-250 Super Baja, a traditionist off-road that happily rumbles its way right on by current considerations about carbon neutrality and the like. That ain’t no game for this arena, hoss: To be produced in a limited run of just 250 units, the F-250 Super Baja mates the Navistar-built Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbocharged diesel V-8 with a Shelby American-scienced suspension created in collaboration with FOX Performance, of off-road shock absorber fame. The Super Baja struts on 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 37-inch BFGoodrich mudder tires, including a pair of spares riding the custom steel chase rack in the cargo bed. Vents, steps, lights and powder-coated trim abound. The stance and vibe speak for themselves. All this and 475 Navistar horsepower. Click to get on line, and if you’re picked, the tariff will be $125,805.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 