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Details
1966 SHELBY MUSTANG GT350H
Chassis No. SFM6S475
Wimbledon white with gold Le Mans stripes and black interior
Engine: V8, overhead valves, 289ci., 306bhp at 6,000rpm; Gearbox: Ford C-4 three-speed automatic; Suspension: front independent with upper A-arms, coil springs, rear elliptical leaf springs; Brakes: front disc, rear drum, Hertz brake booster. Left hand drive.
Believe it or not, in 1966 it was entirely possible to walk into a local Hertz rental agency and, for $17 a day and 17 cents per mile, drive off the lot in a Shelby Mustang GT350H! Actually you first had to be over 25 years old and an approved member of the Hertz Sports Car Club which basically meant you could handle a sports car on the street. Shelby American built 1,000 of these special models in the end, far more than originally conceived, and suitably enough they carry legendary status today.
This car is number 475 in the Hertz run, delivered through Shelby American to the Hertz depot at San Francisco Airport in March 1966 where it stayed in service until the end of the year. The serial number grid code confirms that the Shelby was white with optional factory Le Mans stripes, automatic transmission, fiberglass with steel frame hood, 14in chrome Magnum wheels and over-ride traction bars. A history file offered with the car confirms that the first private owner was Norman Christensen of Sherwood, OR who kept it until January 1984 when it was sold to David and Jeff Sturges of Sturges Bros. Investments. At this time the car had had a color change to green with a single gold stripe.
They sold the car in April 1985 to Dennis Stickel of Portland, OR who had actually tried to buy it in January '84, and in his ownership the car was fully restored over a nine month period. This included stripping it down to bare metal before repainting to its original color scheme again, and reconditioning the engine and transmission with all correct parts. The interior passenger seat cover was changed, as was the carpet to the rear floor, but otherwise the car was left entirely original. Mr. Stickel sold his restored prize to fund a business and the new owner was Verne Howell of Aloha, OR. At the time the recorded mileage was 70,319. Two years later the car changed hands again to D.P. Caswell, then to J. Aiken and then to another keeper from November 1989 until the summer of 2001 when the current private owner purchased it for his collection. Thus it has a continuous private ownership history from new since its days with Hertz.
Today the Shelby Mustang is a real delight and is totally usable. Driving in regular evening traffic the car created suitable attention from admirers. Acceleration is sheer fun as flooring the gas will cause considerable wheel spin and the rear tires will chirp all the way through the range, yet the car remains quite docile and never once overheated or caused any consternation. The brakes are of the competition variety, so once warm it is easy to acclimatize to their feel. Other present features include correct Ford radio, Detroit Locker, rear fold-down seat and lap belts. The indicated mileage now is just 77,600.
Offered with the aforementioned history file and some related Mustang and Ford High-Performance Equipment booklets, this is a great driver in our opinion and offers excellent value considering the performance potential.
Chassis No. SFM6S475
Wimbledon white with gold Le Mans stripes and black interior
Engine: V8, overhead valves, 289ci., 306bhp at 6,000rpm; Gearbox: Ford C-4 three-speed automatic; Suspension: front independent with upper A-arms, coil springs, rear elliptical leaf springs; Brakes: front disc, rear drum, Hertz brake booster. Left hand drive.
Believe it or not, in 1966 it was entirely possible to walk into a local Hertz rental agency and, for $17 a day and 17 cents per mile, drive off the lot in a Shelby Mustang GT350H! Actually you first had to be over 25 years old and an approved member of the Hertz Sports Car Club which basically meant you could handle a sports car on the street. Shelby American built 1,000 of these special models in the end, far more than originally conceived, and suitably enough they carry legendary status today.
This car is number 475 in the Hertz run, delivered through Shelby American to the Hertz depot at San Francisco Airport in March 1966 where it stayed in service until the end of the year. The serial number grid code confirms that the Shelby was white with optional factory Le Mans stripes, automatic transmission, fiberglass with steel frame hood, 14in chrome Magnum wheels and over-ride traction bars. A history file offered with the car confirms that the first private owner was Norman Christensen of Sherwood, OR who kept it until January 1984 when it was sold to David and Jeff Sturges of Sturges Bros. Investments. At this time the car had had a color change to green with a single gold stripe.
They sold the car in April 1985 to Dennis Stickel of Portland, OR who had actually tried to buy it in January '84, and in his ownership the car was fully restored over a nine month period. This included stripping it down to bare metal before repainting to its original color scheme again, and reconditioning the engine and transmission with all correct parts. The interior passenger seat cover was changed, as was the carpet to the rear floor, but otherwise the car was left entirely original. Mr. Stickel sold his restored prize to fund a business and the new owner was Verne Howell of Aloha, OR. At the time the recorded mileage was 70,319. Two years later the car changed hands again to D.P. Caswell, then to J. Aiken and then to another keeper from November 1989 until the summer of 2001 when the current private owner purchased it for his collection. Thus it has a continuous private ownership history from new since its days with Hertz.
Today the Shelby Mustang is a real delight and is totally usable. Driving in regular evening traffic the car created suitable attention from admirers. Acceleration is sheer fun as flooring the gas will cause considerable wheel spin and the rear tires will chirp all the way through the range, yet the car remains quite docile and never once overheated or caused any consternation. The brakes are of the competition variety, so once warm it is easy to acclimatize to their feel. Other present features include correct Ford radio, Detroit Locker, rear fold-down seat and lap belts. The indicated mileage now is just 77,600.
Offered with the aforementioned history file and some related Mustang and Ford High-Performance Equipment booklets, this is a great driver in our opinion and offers excellent value considering the performance potential.