Lot Ended
Description
Highly authentic clone of a 1966 Shelby GT350 Fastback 'Carryover'
car; imported to the UK in 2022 and just one owner since; a proper Sixties
muscle car at a very attractive guide price
Created by
legendary racing driver Carroll Shelby, the 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang
transformed Ford’s best-selling ‘pony car’ into a proper tyre-smoking monster.
Built specifically to qualify for SCCA B-Production road racing and to challenge
Corvette's motorsport dominance, these bare-knuckle bruisers were
uncompromising racing machines.
Powered by a
modified K-Code 289Ci V8, output jumped from 270 to 306bhp thanks to high-rise
aluminium intake manifolds, tuned headers and 4-barrel Holley 725 CFM carb.
Every car was painted Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes, fitted with
heavy-duty suspension, front disc brakes, larger Ford Galaxie rear
drums and four-speed Borg-Warner manual transmission.
As production continued into 1966, Shelby softened the car
slightly to appeal to everyday buyers, introducing automatic transmission,
optional colours and functional rear-quarter glass windows in place of louvred
steel panels. Hertz famously rented 1,000 special GT350H models to club racers
under their ‘Rent-a-Racer’ package.
The
‘Carryover’ cars were a group of 252 Shelby GT350s (chassis numbers SFM6S001 to
SFM6S252) built at the end of 1965 but titled and sold as 1966 models. Shelby
had ordered these Mustang K-Code fastbacks from Ford in late-1965 to ensure his
factory wouldn't run out of base cars during the model year changeover.
The ‘Carryover’ cars combined the refined
cosmetics of the 1966 GT350 with the raw, race-ready mechanical setup of the
1965 GT350. Special features included lowered front control arm suspension
geometry (known as the ‘Shelby drop’) for sharper handling; over-rider rear
traction bars mounted above the axle; battery relocated to the boot; functional
rear brake cooling scoops mounted on the quarter panels; lightweight fibreglass
bonnet skin on a metal subframe plus much else besides.
For the full story
of the ‘Carryover’ cars and their unique features, copy and paste this link into
your browser:
https://carryovergt350.com/
The VIN number
indicates that this particular Mustang started out in life as a regular 1966
Mustang 289Ci. Between 1984 and 1995 it was painstakingly converted into a
faithful clone of a Shelby 350GT ‘Carryover’ car, as detailed in many dozens of
invoices on file. You will need a good knowledge of Ford part numbers and
American muscle car terminology to decipher the full extent of the performance
parts fitted and the work carried out, but it was clearly a meticulous
job.
Even the brake cooling scoops
in the rear quarter panels work as they should and are not just dummies for show
purposes. The bonnet is also correct, featuring a fibreglass skin over a metal
frame complete with air scoop and competition bonnet locks, as is the Cobra cup
tachometer on top of the dash. It even has Shelby American door sill emblems in
place of the usual Ford oval, and the glovebox lid has been signed by John
Collins, Shelby's chief race engineer in the 1960s.
Other features
include front disc brakes; competition front crossmember and sway bar kit;
polybushed suspension with uprated springs; ARP high performance main bolt kit;
B&M torque converter and transmission oil cooler; hardened axle/pinion
gears; Mallory ignition; uprated cooling system; 4-barrel Holley carb; sports
exhaust with tubular headers; power steering; air con; competition seat belts
plus much else besides.
Bidders are encouraged to
examine both the car and the history file to fully appreciate the extent of the
upgrades carried out. The attention to detail seems pretty obsessive and we
imagine that it would take a real expert to tell that it is not a genuine
Shelby-made car.
Our vendor, a retired mechanic
and garage proprietor, imported the car from America in 2022 to join his
collection of interesting cars. He has used it sparingly in fine weather only,
keeping it tucked away in heated storage when not in
use.
As you can see in the photos,
this Mustang looks most impressive both above and below and has been starting
promptly and running well as we have moved it around on site, with healthy oil
pressure.
Only 252 Shelby GT350
‘Carryover’ cars were made and genuine ones can fetch well over $300k at auction
in America. On offer here at a fraction of that price, this highly authentic
clone will fool 99% of the people 99% of the time. A proper head-turner and huge
fun to drive, it will also prove a real talking point on the muscle
car show circuit.
Consigned by James
Dennison – 07970 309907 – [email protected]