Big mistake why? No one cares about Carroll Shelby anymore! Waste of money for Ford.

I sell Mustangs and the Shelby conversation comes up on the floor more than Ford probably expects. The customers who specifically wanted a GT500 knew what they were buying and why. The Shelby name carried decades of motorsport credibility that walked in the door before I said a word. Dark Horse is a genuinely good performance product but it is starting from zero on that front. When someone comes in asking about the Dark Horse SC I have to explain what it is before I can sell it. With a GT500 I never had to explain the name. That shorthand with enthusiast buyers has real dollar value that does not show up in a licensing fee analysis and I am not sure Ford fully accounted for it when they decided $800 a car was too much.