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This Shelby Europe labelled 1972 Mustang Mach 1 is from New Zealand belonging to Cedric Price/Matamata. 
Picture courtesy Dale Mathers 
Picture courtesy Dale Mathers 
The VIN stamping looks different than on other Shelby Europas. Also the VIN does not match the Marti report. Actually Claude told me himself, that at some time papers and tags disappeared and he expressed some suspicion, where they ended up. Another owner stated rumour said that a garage, which serviced one or several Shelby Europes, got known for attempting to copy the SEs in the late 70ies, early 8oies. If this is one of them or not, that has to be checked out with the hidden VINs on the body. Our attempts to get this information from NZ were not answered after initial promises. You will have to check yourself, if the car comes up for sale. |
After initial 2 years of research, I got in 2003 the first pictures of this rare car through Dale Mathers from NZ Dale Mathers reported then: "Cedric Price, the owner, has a collection of 71-73 Mustangs including a rare 72 351HO (R-code) Mach I. The Shelby Europa (?) was imported by a Dutch gentleman along with another Mustang in about the early to mid-80's. It then ended up in the hands of a Geoff Derek (as listed in the Shelby Register*). The car was very rough and rusty when it entered the country and was dark green in colour. Mr. Derek set about restoring it, stripping it to the bare shell, repairing the rust, including the bottom rear corners etc. The car is now painted in a Porsche red colour with the Shelby Europa decals and badging and 5-spoke Shelby wheels. I think from memory the car was orginally automatic, but Cedric P.converts all his cars to 4-speed manual as he does not like autos. The car is still kept in pristine condition in a heated garage along with Cedrics other cars."  Pictures courtesy Dale Mathers Another enthusiast - let's call him Andy - once reported early on: "I have copies of the original certificate of sale. It is a GT 350 from March 1972 model. serial no. 2F05H103183. The car was a mid metallic green colour originally, much the same as fords "limelight green" seen on Cortinas at the time". After a long waiting, Andy could finally find the documents he obtained and send them to us including pictures from the sale in Auckland. Fortunately even the current owner Cedric contacted me and was happy to learn that sb. in NZ has his Certificate of sale. Andy sent him the document. So, this site helps occasionally both owners and enthusiasts to come together in the long end. The car was for sale some time in 2009, but pulled again later. More on that certificate popped up in the research in 2025. Read on. |
Picture courtesy Wayne Robinson 
Picture courtesy Wayne Robinson 
Picture courtesy Wayne Robinson |
Wayne Robinson visited Cedric and came up with actual 2004 pics, once the Shelby Europe was moved out of the garage. Note as well the race Boss 351 engine with the 8 runners and Weber set-up on the other car. The three red Fastbacks make a good display. Cedric moved them to a 2016 show for all to see. He still enjoyed them as far as we know through all these years with no intention to sell any of them. 
Picture courtesy Wayne Robinson 
Picture courtesy Wayne Robinson I had in mind to visit the owner during our stay in Australia, but unfortunately our schedule did not leave time to do this. |
| 2 Decades of research went into this car! |
The story with first
pictures and published here was online in 2004. Over the years we had
been in contact with relatives, friends and Cedric himself as well as
enthusiasts from NZ, who once attempted to buy it when it popped up in New
Zealand. As of 2013, in a major research done by the SAAC into actual paperwork including Kevin Marti and owners plus Claude Dubois latest paperwork, we received the Marti report on this VIN 2F05H103183 and it turns out that the report does not indicate any relation to a Shelby sold through Claude Dubois. In fact the Marti report shows that the known VIN belongs to a 72 Mustang Mach 1, that was not sold via Bob Ford as all other SHELBY EUROPAS. This one went through a DSO 15 dealer in Newark and might have been exported at some time from the east coast to Belgium or the Netherlands, probably rather Netherlands. The Mach 1 was originally in medium lime metallic and featured the Ram Air option and rear window defogger, just to name a few options. What is pending? We have to verify, what VIN is embossed in the fender of Cedrics car as it might not match the VIN stamped into the Dubois tag. All owner related parties so far remained silent after initial promises to check, we could take from this that there is another VIN shown on the body, but either way we cannot confirm nor SAAC that this car was either way a Shelby Europe. Claude did not list this car in his confirmations to the SAAC and us about Shelby Europas. Several aspects do not sound right for a legit Shelby Europa. Anyway since the car was not sold yet and no claim made in a deal, there is no harm yet. If it comes to market the buyer would need to spend time to check out the car. The certificate of sales issued with this 1972 Mustang from Claude Dubois looks in several aspects correct, but the signature is not Claudes own signature, which leads to some speculation about the licencing in the Netherlands. |
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What do we know. Fortunately "Andy" sent us these pics and all the documents
he received from the Auckland dealer back then. In 2025 someone online (let's call him Mr. P) in a Facebook group posted that he sold the car to Geoff Dereks brother, so finally we got a confirmation that indeed this was the car that ended up in Cedric hands. Next step is to find the track back to Belgium or rather Netherlands, since it was said to have been imported by a dutch guy. The dealer was a Euro import dealer in Auckland called Franklin near the NZ bank. Whoever remembers more facts, pass us a line. Thank you in advance. |
 The car in question as it was displayed in Auckland before the sale to Geoff Derek. Mr. P. - working at that time in the dealership - confirmed he traded the car in NZ in that direction.  The car back then in the 80ies definitely had teh wrong lettering on. The tires were also aftermarket.  The 1972 Mach 1 shown in front of the Franklins dealership near the Bank of New Zealand in Auckland, a dealer of european imports. Note the Shelby emblem on the rear upper fender and the Shelby Cal wheels. An interested buyer had little doubt once he was presented the Certificate of Sales paperwork and the tag in the engine bay, however they seem to be made up with different letter stamping and Claudes missing original signature. The office stamp itself is also in another unusual place on the paperwork. |
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