What Year Is the Eleanor Mustang?

The Eleanor Mustang is a 1967 Ford Mustang fastback, built to look like a Shelby GT500. This is the car most people picture when they hear the name Eleanor, and it comes from the 2000 remake of Gone in 60 Seconds.

Ford never actually built a car called Eleanor. It was a custom movie creation, designed by Steve Stanford and brought to life by builder Chip Foose. The final look combined a 1967 Mustang body with GT500 styling cues, giving it a stance that felt aggressive even standing still. That gray and black design became the version of Eleanor that stuck, and it's the one nearly every tribute built on the market copies today.

Two Movies, Two Different Years: Here's the Confusion

Eleanor has actually appeared in two separate films, and each one used a completely different car, which is exactly where the mix-up comes from.

1974 Original: 1971 Mustang

The first Eleanor showed up in H.B. Halicki's 1974 film, and she was a 1971 Mustang fitted with 1973-style grilles to match the movie's release year. Painted a plain yellow, this version had no supercharger or wide-body kit. She was built to survive stunt work, not to turn heads in a garage.

2000 Remake: 1967 Mustang

The Eleanor everyone actually recognizes today comes from the 2000 remake, and she's a 1967 Mustang fastback styled to look like a Shelby GT500. Designer Steve Stanford sketched the concept, and builder 

Chip Foose brought it to life with the pepper-grey paint and black racing stripes that became instantly iconic. If you're curious how that design has evolved into today's licensed builds, the full Eleanor Mustang history covers the entire story.

Which Year Do People Actually Mean Today?

When someone says "Eleanor Mustang" now, they're almost always talking about the 1967 version. It's the car builders replicate, the one that shows up at major auctions, and the one that

Eleanor Mustang: Frequently Asked Questions

Was Eleanor a real Shelby GT500?

No. Eleanor was never a factory-built GT500. She's a 1967 Mustang fastback that was customized with Shelby GT500-inspired styling for the movie, not an actual Shelby-built car.

Does every Eleanor tribute car use a 1967 Mustang?

Most builders start with a 1967 or 1968 Mustang base, since that's the closest match to the original film car. Some use fiberglass reproduction shells instead of an original donor car, so small differences exist between builds, but the year range stays consistent.

Is a 1969 or 1970 Mustang ever called an Eleanor?

No, and this is a common mix-up. Only the 1967 fastback from the 2000 remake, and the 1971 fastback from the 1974 original, carry the actual Eleanor name. A 1969 or 1970 Mustang doesn't share that history, no matter how it's styled.

What Mustang body style is Eleanor: fastback or coupe?

Eleanor is a fastback, not a coupe.

What year is this Eleanor Mustang going to auction?

This particular build is a fully licensed 1967 Eleanor, and it's heading to auction on August 22, 2026, at Kool Deadwood Nites.