AC
3000ME Shelby Special (1981)

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

In 1981 US business partners imported an AC 3000ME and planned to fit an American engine and gearbox to meet US emissions rules. When General Motors delayed an engine, Carroll Shelby, then a consultant to Chrysler, helped obtain a turbocharged 2.2-litre four-cylinder from the K-car line.

The car showed promise but Chrysler management declined to support the project and only one AC Shelby was built. One site states it is in the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   The cars: AC 3000ME Level C

   • 1 AC Shelby 3000ME cars built

   Accessed 2026-11-13
2. 2
   AC 3000ME Info of Modified Cars Level D ac3000me.com (owners site, Wayback copy)

   • 2.2ltr turbocharged four-cylinder K-Car engine

   Accessed 2026-11-13