Fake Ford Shelby Mustangs Seized From Defrauding Collector Up for Auction
Horsepower, big money and alleged fraud.
Half a dozen "rare" Boss and Shelby Ford Mustangs are listed for sale right now in an online auction, and you might be able to buy them for pennies on the dollar. However—we recommend you stay away from them because they're actually fakes.
The cars in question stand out in an Oklahoma classic car sale on the auction site Proxibid on behalf of the Pottowatomie County District Attorney. According to News 9, the DA seized six Mustangs from the estate of a lawyer named Kermit Milburn, who in 2016 was accused of trying to sell a fake Shelby Mustang at auction. Said car was identified by an earlier News 9 story as a 1969 Mustang Shelby fastback, whose VIN conspicuously matched that of a car whose whereabouts were known, and which wasn't for sale.
"Kermit Milburn was caught trying to sell one of these replica cars as an original at an auction," said Pottawatomie County DA Allan Grubb. "It's a serious crime because it involves lots of money."
Lots of money reportedly meant somewhere in the six figures, and while Milburn was under investigation for alleged fraud, he died of suicide in 2016. The DA confiscated six Mustangs from his estate, and the cars have been in storage since.
So, are these former Milburn-owned cars bargain Bosses? Shelbys for a steal? Or are they as bogus as the car Milburn tried to sell in 2016?
It's hard to tell, as only two of the six lots have photos included as in their listings. The first—a 1970 Mustang roller sold as a Shelby—is in too rough of a shape to identify as the real deal unless you're familiar with the model, and the other, unfortunately, is an obvious sham. This 2006 Mustang GT has a few Shelby-style body parts and 45th Anniversary Edition badging, but the latter detail is a dead giveaway that not all's as it seems, because 45th Anniversary Editions were only sold in 2009, not 2006.
This isn't to say the other four cars—two Boss, two convertibles, all 1970—are definite fakes, but we'd advise anyone considering bidding to be extremely cautious about overpaying for a knockoff. If you know a Shelby expert, drag them down to Shawnee, Oklahoma on February 8 when final bids on each car are taken.
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