65 thunderbird racecar serial number#
The Museum’s 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 bearing serial number 5S195 started life as a privateer racecar, which was raced by Dr. A total of 521production models were built before August 1965, when Shelby American switched over to building the somewhat softened 1966 model. Normally supplied with 15 x 5.5-inch steel wheels, the 306-hp, 2,800-lb fastback could also be ordered with 15 x 6-inch Cragar/Shelby alloy wheels. Priced at $4,547, the GT350 street version differed only slightly from “R” Model, mainly in that it had a normal steel front bumper and valance, but no roll bar. In the case of the GT350, Shelby American was working on a production model with myriad options, and no doubt Ford was eager that these cars-aimed at a range of influential high-performance customers-would meet its usual quality standards. After all, they had to satisfy not only themselves but their client, Ford Motor Company. For him and his busy employees, many of whom were by then deeply involved with 427 Cobra and GT40 work, developing an entirely different car for the street was far more difficult than creating a car for the track. To qualify the GT350 for SCCA production racing, as Ford had requested, Shelby had to build at least 100 street-legal examples in time for the 1965 season. Chuck Cantwell was the project engineer, Ken Miles did the mechanical development, and Peter Brock designed the graphics.ĭuring the last week of 1964, Ford’s San Jose plant shipped Shelby American 110 specially built Wimbledon White fastback in incomplete form most of their distinctive GT350 modifications would be accomplished in the Venice shop. Given the go-ahead by Ford in August 1964, the Shelby American staff had only until early 1965 to develop the two models, arrange for the necessary parts to be made, and get the race cars into competition.
65 thunderbird racecar plus#
Repeating his proven Cobra approach, Shelby first built 100 examples of the GT350 street model to qualify it as B Production car, then built a smaller series of racers (two team cars plus 34 customer cars). Iacocca wanted Shelby to prepare and campaign the Mustang as a B Production SCCA racer (Sports Car Club of America). Ford’s Lee Iacocca felt that he could increase sales with more powerful engines and better handling, and in searching for a solution, he approached Carroll Shelby. Only problem, it was considered a bit small, and lacking the full-throated power that buyers wanted. Introduced in mid-1964, it quickly became a best-seller. One of the first “pony cars” – fast and sporty (and with lots of horsepower under the hood) – was of course the iconic Ford Mustang.
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