Jim Morrison and his 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Words: Robby Pacicco
Legends cultivate within the womb of fragmented reality where they are nourished by rumor while they conceptualize; causing the doors of perception to have a fish-eyed lens peephole made of frosted glass. The fuzziness of fact and the plausibility of potential possibility brew a majestic cocktail. Throw into the mix the self-proclaimed “Lizard King” Jim Morrison along muscle car royalty, the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the Hollywood fable breaks on through to the other side, or so they say. Morrison and the Shelby have been icons within their own realms since they came to their respective scenes. One being the often shy yet charismatic poet, songwriter and singer of the great American band the Doors, the other the powerful, loud and brash love child of FoMoCo (Ford Motor Company) and Carroll Shelby. It was no secret how Morrison loved his fast Fords and fast life. It’s been documented on every platform, authorized or not. So many versions exist of each of these stories which only add to the lore of what happened to the supposedly lost 1967 Shelby owned by Morrison, christened the Blue Lady.
Mystery and conspiracy have forever circled the details of his untimely death on July 3, 1971 when he joined the tragically named “27 Club”. However, his art, influence and presence continue to be felt and live on throughout the world. Despite the heartbreak of actually accepting his corporal being no longer among us (depending on whom you ask), his grave in the famed Cimetière du Père-Lachaise acts as a shrine and reminder of the man that once was the frontman of one of the most important foundations of popular rock music. Although in no means of disrespecting or depreciating the life the great James Douglas Morrison, his snake bitten steed shares no such tribute. No stone monument to recollect her existence, no trace of a registered possession, just a bunch of he said / she said. This is where the continued story telling of Jim Morrison continues, posthumously. So many different versions of the fate of his celebrated ’67 GT500 have been recounted among enthusiasts, music and automotive alike have made it almost impossible to really know the truth. As folklore goes, this Shelby had the powerful 428CI engine coupled with a four-speed manual transmission and painted in what was known as Nightmist Blue. It was believed to have been his favorite within his stable. One narrative proclaims that Morrison’s “live fast” lifestyle caused him, while inebriated and intoxicated, to crash the car and abandoning it. This causing the authorities to have it towed away and auctioned off, or for thieves to do what they wanted with the mechanical remains. Some have said the missing blue Shelby is in the possession of a collector, some sort of unknown soldier so to speak, refusing to reveal themselves. Others claim the car was parked by a drunken Jim, and he forgot where it was all together, letting it sit at an impound forever until scrapped, salvaged or sold at auction. What about where he drove it until he ran out of fuel and traded the car to someone for drugs or alcohol? People are strange, but honestly, the tales only get stranger from there. So many unconfirmed stories exist, yet Jim being Jim, has absolutely made any one of them possible.
To this day, many people (this author included) are still seeking the most likely of outcomes to find out more about the Blue Lady and if she truly met her demise. There are those that accept her loss as they listen to the Apocalypse Now soundtrack, while others refuse to admit the music’s over and scour the internet for hints and slivers of hope that she’s out there, hidden in a barn waiting to be saved or perfectly intact. No matter what side of Love Street these people stand on, the legend of Jim Morrison’s Blue Lady still haunts over half a century later, this is not the end, my friend. Far from it. What if all this time the obvious was in front of us all along. The master wordsmith he was may have easily hidden the location of the Shelby, or any other of his treasured worldly belongings within his poetry. It might be crazy enough to be the most accurate roadmap to the final resting place of the Blue Lady. Without going into the details of what Jim’s spoken word poem to music Awake is about, it quite very well also be a huge hint to where the Blue Lady has been all this time. Then again, maybe not. That’s the beauty of such a good secret, anything and everything can be, will be, is and isn’t fact. Listen to it, read it:
“Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and
choose the sign of your day
The day’s divinity
First thing you see.
A vast radiant beach
in a cool jeweled moon
Couples naked race down by it’s quiet side
And we laugh like soft, mad children
Smug in the woolly cotton brains of infancy
The music and voices are all around us.
Choose, they croon, the Ancient Ones
The time has come again
Choose now, they croon,
Beneath the moon
Beside an ancient lake
Enter again the sweet forest
Enter the hot dream
Come with us
Everything is broken up and dances.”
Then again, like Jim Morrison famously said “Listen, real poetry doesn’t say anything; it just ticks off the possibilities. Opens all doors. You can walk through anyone that suits you.” He’s right.
It would be a fantastic revelation to learn of the car being out there and no longer a ghost story. Then again, it would be much more poetic to be able to find out how many restored and repaired 1967 Shelby GT500s over the years may have been brought back to life using parts of the Blue Lady and each piece imbued with her soul. We may never know for sure how the story ends. We will always only know the legendary story of Jim Morrison and his Blue Lady began when their shared story came to a crossroads and they split apart. That crossroad, metaphorical or literal, you decide.
