On Line Redline Guide

Casting : Shelby Turbine

Years of Production:

1969-1971

Country of Origin:

Hong Kong

Casting Variations:

None Known

Paint Colors and Variations:

Blue glass on all production releases
Clear glass only on pre-production

Interior Colors:

Black is common
Champagne is uncommon
White is rare and only found in red cars

Color Chart

COLOR	BLACK	CHAMPAGNE	WHITE
Aqua	Common	Uncommon	-
Blue	Common	Uncommon	-
Light Blue	Rare	-	-
Green	Common	Uncommon	-
Light Green	Rare	-	-
Red	Common	VHTF	Rare
Brick Red	Uncommon	-	-
Rose	Uncommon	-	-
Orange	Common	Uncommon	-
Brown	Common	-	-
Copper	Uncommon	Rare	-
Olive	Uncommon	Uncommon	-
Purple	Common	Uncommon	-

Comments:

The Shelby Turbine was one of four open-wheel Indy cars released in 1969 as part of the new Grand Prix Series.

The Shelby Turbine is a replica of the turbine powered Indy race car developed by Carrol Shelby and Andy Granatelli for the 1968 Indy 500. The Hot Wheels version
of the Shelby Turbine came in a wide range of spectraflame colors and with three different colored interiors: Black, Champagne and White. All production pieces
have blue tinted windshields. Shelby Turbines are found with both bearing and capped wheels, and even sometimes even with a mixture of both.

Photos of the actual Shelby Turbine

During the winter of 1966-67, the Granatelli brothers' STP team built a radical new race car powered by a turbine engine. At the time, such an engine was permitted
under USAC rules. Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 champion, was hired to drive the car. In the 1967 Indianapolis 500, Jones led 171 laps, but a $6 bearing
burned out on lap 197. The STP Turbine, referred to by some as the "pregnant guppy" might have been what the Mattel designer had in mind. For 1968, the Granatellis
turned to Lotus for another try with turbine engines. The designer of the original STP turbine car, Ken Wallis, approached Carroll Shelby and convinced him to build a
turbine car for the 1968 Indianapolis 500. Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren were to drive the new Shelby Turbines, but they were quietly withdrawn before the race. After
the 1968 pre-race crash of a Lotus Turbine that killed driver Mike Spence, Shelby announced that turbine engines were too powerful and could never be made to work safely
in automobiles. However, the withdrawal of the cars likely had more to do with Shelby's discovery that a design flaw in Wallis' turbine engine left it without sufficient
power. One of the Shelby Turbine cars was later used as a promotional vehicle for Paul Newman's movie "Winning".

Grand Prix Blister Pack

The Shelby Turbine typically came on the "Grand Prix" card which included a metal button and the decal sheet, placed under the base card.

Shelby Turbine Decal Sheet

All Shelby Turbines were supplied with a waterslide decal sheet, to be applied by the buyer.

1969 "Indy Team" Four Pack

The Shelby Turbine was also available in a four pack with the other three "open wheel" cars.

Shelby Turbine Silver Painted Base Variation

The car on the left has significant traces of silver paint all over the base, it has only been found in Europe.

Shelby Turbines with champagne interior

As for interior colors, black is by far the most common for all colors. Champagne is uncommon and draws a premium price for collectors of the casting.

Shelby Turbine with white interior, the only known color

White interior versions are quite rare. All known pieces are red. Of the 10 or so known examples, most have bearing wheels, one has capped wheels.

A rainbow of Shelby Turbines

Shelby Turbine in Light Blue

Shelby Turbine in Light green

This is the hardest production color.

Prototypes:

A few prototypes are known, the most common by far, the blue spectraflame version. Others include one in red, one in purple and one in pink.
All diecast Shelby Turbine prototypes have clear windshields. A 1/64th scale resin in red came out of the Larry Wood Collection.

Shelby Turbine prototypes

The purple and pink are "one of" whereas the blue is the color used for the catalog cars. Approximately 15 blue ones are known.

Shelby Turbine with authentic tanks

Fuel tanks were developed for all four of the open wheel cars in an attempt to adapt the cars for use with the "superchargers" however, they were never
released to the public. Reproductions abound but authentic original Shelby tanks are rare, however Shelby tanks are by far the most common of the four types of tanks.

Shelby Turbine Base Modification for Tanks

The rectangular hole and the circular nub at the rear on the base of the production Shelby were added to the base to accommodate the tanks.
Most preproduction examples lack these features but at least one preproduction example of the Shelby with these features is known.

Shelby Turbine 1969 Toy Fair Dinner Car

In 1969, Mattel hosted a banquet at the 1969 NY Toy Fair. Each place setting had a chromed car with the silverware.
Five chromed cars are known to have survived, and this is one of two Shelby Turbines.

Photos and information by Rick Wilson and Ted Gray

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