A very rare, early-production Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang is making its way to Russo and Steele’s Monterey Collector Automobile Auction event this year, scheduled to take place during the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August.
The 1965 Shelby GT350 in question, Serial No. SFM5S199, is one of 565 examples built for that model year. It’s a matching-numbers car that was fully restored with just 21,000 miles on the clock, motivated by its original 306-horsepower, 289-cubic-inch V8 and 4-speed Borg Warner transmission. Being one of the first 300 units made, it also has the rare trunk-mounted battery that went away partway through the first year of production.
Photo: Russo and Steele
Shod in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes and a black interior, this 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang boasts plenty of touches that immediately identify it as the real deal: a fiberglass hood with a scoop, side-exit exhaust, Cobra steering wheel, and 15-inch Shelby/Cragar wheels, to name a few. The Ford Serial No. and Shelby VIN are verified-matching by the Shelby American Automobile Club, and the car comes fully documented with the Shelby American World Registry; it even ships with copies of the Tasca Ford of Rhode Island delivery documents from five decades ago.
Photo: Russo and Steele
The arrival of the original Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang was a watershed moment in the history of American performance automobiles, and one that cemented the immensely productive relationship between Shelby American and Ford Motor Company that continues to this day. This stunning example will be made available at auction sometime between August 18th and the 20th.
For more, check out the listing on the Russo and Steele website.
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