Shelby's 'Green Hornet' Prototype Combined Fuel Injection and Independent Rear Suspension Decades Before the 1999 Cobra

The 1999 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra is often credited as the first Mustang to arrive at dealerships with both fuel injection and an independent rear suspension. That milestone was real, but it wasn't the first time those features appeared together on a Mustang. Nearly 30 years earlier, a Shelby-built prototype known as the "Green Hornet" had already paired them.

Built in 1968, the Green Hornet started as a standard notchback and was used by Shelby to test equipment for a proposed GT/Super Coupe model. When that project was dropped, the car became a test mule for other ideas, including a prototype Conelec electronic fuel-injection system and a fully independent rear suspension.

It also received a striking paint job: three coats of Gold Luster Green with gold mica flakes, two clear coats, and a custom white-and-gold striping package applied over the original Lime Gold Metallic finish.

Under the hood sat a 428-cubic-inch V8 that would later become the iconic Cobra Jet engine. 4 seconds, and top out at 157 mph. 5 seconds to reach 60 mph and had an estimated top speed of 128 mph, though the Green Hornet's exact output numbers aren't known. The engine was paired with a truck-style three-speed automatic and a Lincoln-sourced torque converter.

Despite its advanced suspension, the car kept the 9-inch rear differential that had been around since 1957, a unit prized by tuners for its strength and easy access. The Green Hornet nearly faced the crusher, but a Ford exec diverted it to a holding lot, where the supervisor bought it as a family daily driver.

Many of its special parts had been removed by then. It later passed through a Ford dealer, underwent a multiyear restoration, and was eventually purchased by Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson.

Carroll Shelby liked the Green Hornet so much that he had a second version built for himself. Dubbed the Black Hornet, it premiered at the 2008 SEMA show using a surviving 1968 notchback and a 428 V8 tuned to 400 horsepower, but it lacked the fuel injection and independent rear suspension of the original.

After Shelby's death, the Black Hornet sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction in 2023 for $451,000.