News Update

The Ford Mustang “Eleanor” gained fame from the 2000 movie “Gone in 60 Seconds,” inspiring many to recreate the Shelby Mustang GT500. However, the “Eleanor” trademark belongs to Denice Shakarian Halicki, widow of H.B. Halicki, creator of the original 1974 film. Through Eleanor Licensing LLC, Halicki has shut down many Mustang Eleanor projects, seized cars, and even won a lawsuit against Carroll Shelby for attempting to license a custom version of the Eleanor Mustang.

Now, the Shelby Trust has triumphed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The court ruled that the Eleanor cars in “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “The Junkman,” and “Deadline Auto Theft” are not protected by character copyright, as Halicki claimed. Halicki had argued that these vehicles were a single copyrightable character, preventing Shelby from licensing others to make and sell Shelby GT500 models. She has sued or threatened many for alleged copyright violations.

“We can finally assure our licensees and Shelby GT500 owners that Mrs. Halicki has no grounds to complain or file lawsuits based on the appearance of any car licensed by the Shelby Trust. This court victory secures the value of all Shelby GT500s,” a Shelby Trust representative stated.

DISCLAIMER: “Eleanor” and “Gone in 60 Seconds” are registered trademarks of Denice Halicki. We are not affiliated with the trademark owners. G.T. 350, G.T. 500, and G.T. 500E are registered trademarks of Carroll Shelby. Our Eleanor World Registry club is not affiliated with Denice Halicki, Carroll Shelby, or Ford Motor Company. The terms “Eleanor” and “Mustang” are used for descriptive purposes only. The styling of the Eleanor Mustang from the 2000 movie is based on a modified 1967 Shelby G.T. 500 Mustang Fastback and is considered public domain. Our registry is a fan club site dedicated to the public admiration of the 1967 “Eleanor” Mustang from “Gone in 60 Seconds.”

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