The Controversy Surrounding American Pickers’ Classic 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang Find

“American Pickers'” host Mike Wolfe and his rotating crew of antiquing pals frequently travel to parts unknown in hopes of liberating even the rustiest and dustiest of treasures from the backyards, barns, and crawl spaces of the world. More often than not, they’re successful in that endeavor, though sometimes Wolfe and company hit on a find that even they couldn’t have anticipated, such as the infamous Bubble Car they shelled out big bucks for in Season 23.

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Wolfe found another super-rare vehicle that same season during an episode titled “Shelby in the Barn,” with the series host and “Jersey” Jon Szalay stumbling upon a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 — a career-defining vehicle for its namesake creator — that’s been withering away in an Alabama barn for the better part of the past four decades. It seems the Shelby was not initially on Wolfe’s radar, however, as he’d met up with locals Kevin and Tink to purchase an old Chevy neon sign. The story turns when Kevin claims he’s also got a Shelby GT500 stowed away in a nearby barn.

Unfortunately, the vehicle is hardly in pristine condition. But despite its general state of disrepair, as far as barn finds go, the GT500 is one of those that seems too good to be true. According to some “American Pickers'” fans, it probably was, with viewers questioning whether or not Wolfe’s “find” was staged. That possibility has indeed become the source of a low-key controversy for the long-running reality series. 

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While that 1967 Shelby Mustang is a legit rarity, as Mike Wolfe talked things over with his pal Richard Ellis via phone, it’s noted that the barn find is in such a sorry state, it would likely cost Wolfe over $100,000 to get it into auction shape. Once the owners turn down Wolfe’s $75,000 offer, he deems the ’67 GT500 too pricey an undertaking, even though GT500s modified by automotive icon Carroll Shelby have fetched $200,000 at auction

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Nonetheless, Wolfe’s sincere joy at finding the rare vehicle is apparent throughout the episode. Joy aside, as we already noted, some “American Pickers'” viewers weren’t buying the apparent happenstance that led him to the barn. That was clear in the comments section of the series’ official Facebook post for the episode, with one user sarcastically chirping in with, “What a coincidence that they found a rare car on the day they were filming, I mean, what are the odds??” Another agreed, commenting, “I think a lot of this stuff is planted ahead of time,” and still another added to the sarcasm with, “Not at all staged.”

Thankfully, at least one Facebook user chimed in to point out the obvious, stating, “These sort of shows have to be staged …” going on to note that some staging is necessary, if only because legal permissions are required for filming. Despite that voice of reason, some “American Pickers'” fans are clearly still annoyed at the series’ apparent lack of transparency, with entire Reddit threads still dedicated to such discourse. As it is, that chatter will likely continue as long as the series is on the air. 

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