1965 Shelby GT350

The GT350's 289 'Hi-Po' V-8 received a 35-horsepower boost with a Holley four-barrel carburetor, aluminum high-rise intake manifold, "Tri-Y" exhaust headers, a high-performance cam, and dual exhaust. The front suspension was lowered, and the front structure was beefed up with an "export brace" and "Monte Carlo" bar. A fatter front stabilizer, rear traction bars, Koni shocks, and Detroit Locker rear-end, plus special front disc and rear drum brakes were major upgrades. The GT350 was visually distinguished from its basic Mustang roots with twin Le Mans stripes from nose to tail, a fiberglass hood with hood scoop and hold-down pins, and exhaust outlets just ahead of the rear wheels. Interior appointments included a woodgrain steering wheel, competition seat belts, a tachometer, and a simple fiberglass shelf in place of the rear seat.

Just 562 of these potent performers were built for the street in 1965 to approve the Shelby GT350 for SCCA racing. This example SFM5S482, was received by Shelby American on June 13, 1965. About a week later, work commenced on transforming the Mustang into a Shelby GT350, and the car was completed on June 28, 1965. The finished Shelby was then shipped to Jack Loftus Ford, Inc. in Hinsdale, Illinois, on July 30, 1965. According to the Shelby American World Registry and copies of the Shelby American Inc. invoices, SFM5S482 was originally purchased by L. Williams of Griffith, Indiana, inexplicably over 15 months later, on December 27, 1966. Through the early years, it was owned by several collectors before ending up in the collection of Ronald J. Kaminski in Wexford, Pennsylvania, as documented in the Registry. Kelly Schultz of Follett, Texas, purchased the car around 1998 and commissioned a complete and correct restoration.

The body of the car was found to be very solid with no evidence of prior damage, and the engine was determined to retain the correct, numbers-matching block. The hidden Ford VIN numbers have been verified with SAAC as corresponding to the Shelby number they have on file. Upon completion of the restoration, the car was sold to a private collector who stored the Shelby on blocks inside his building for the next 15 years. Before selling his beloved Shelby, he would commission a complete engine tune-up and transmission rebuild in 2013 that cost right under $8,000. This GT350 would then find the home of a Texas-based collector in 2016 before the current and meticulous caretaker would welcome it into his impressive climate-controlled collection in 2018.

This car presents very well today, no doubt due to its limited usage and careful storage. Very clean and detailed throughout, the owner notes that this Shelby runs and drives well with no issues, and is the perfect candidate to be enjoyed, driven, or shown. Purpose-built to homologate Ford's wildly successful Mustang for SCCA racing, Carroll Shelby's original GT350 conferred an unbeatable high-performance image on the trendsetting "pony car" which it proved on the track. Built in very limited numbers, listed in the Shelby Registry, and documented by original sales copies, this numbers-matching 289 'Hi-Po' V-8 GT350 is striking throughout, exhilarating to drive, and most of all a must-have for any performance-minded collection.