1966 Ford Shelby Mustang GT 350 (U612)

Vehicle Information

The sixties were a prominent era within U.S. history, dominated by the trials and tribulations of the Vietnam war, assassination of John F Kennedy, Cuban Missile Crisis others too abundant to mention. However, alongside these discouraging events came some memorable triumphs within the automotive industry, specifically that of Ford Motor Co. In 1966 their underdog GT40 (carefully developed under the supervision of Caroll Shelby and with the help of racing driver Ken Miles) achieved 1st, 2nd and 3rd place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, marking the first ever overall win for Ford Motor Co at Le Mans and the first American constructor to do so.

Alongside the Ford racing division accomplishments at Le Mans, the production of the Ford Mustang built by Shelby American began in 1965. Founded by Caroll Shelby, a notable and accomplished automotive designer, racing driver and entrepreneur best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra, Mustang and Ford GT40, the Shelby American Marque remains a name synonymous within the realms of performance cars and racing to this very day.

The first iteration of the Mustang guise was the ‘Shelby Mustang GT 350’ or more commonly labelled the ‘GT 350’. The car featured a distinctive, beautifully penned coupe profile with small dimensions and a lightweight construction, in fact this was to be the smallest and lightest of the GT 350 line. All examples built between 1965-1966 featured the Windsor 289 (cubic inches/4.7L) V8 engine, modified with a large 4-barrel Holley 715 CFM Carburettor, producing a punchy 306 BHP. Coupled with the engine was a Borg Warner Super T10 manual 4-speed gearbox.
We are delighted to offer this exceptional Ford Shelby Mustang GT 350 with matching numbers, wearing its original specification of Sapphire Blue over a Black interior. The car also features optional 15’’ 10 spoke alloy wheels and rear seats both confirmed from its original bill of sale (ORDER #660486) dated 1966, totalling $3880.75, supplied to Young Motor Company of Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.

The Mustang was initially purchased by Mr Metcalf in May 1966 and naturally changed hands between different owners up until its final American custodian (a prominent collector) purchased the car in December 2012 from a dealer in Boston. The car was mostly original and didn't show any signs of being apart, with common pockets of rust and other expected areas of damage, all of which were professionally repaired as per the owner’s instructions prior to having the car completely restored. To ensure an accurate colour match to that of the original specification, both the owner and body shop spent a lot of time researching and finally matching the paint to a panel located under the dash pad that hadn’t seen natural light since the cars first assembly in 1966. The car retained all its original Shelby specific parts during the process, including its matching numbers engine, intake, Holley carburettor, dual point distributor, headers, alloy oil pan etc. The engine was fully rebuilt and balanced; crank turned .010/010, block bored .030, head rebuilt with hardened seats, new valves and springs, new cam and lifters to 289 ‘’K’’ specification. A comprehensive rebuild of the car's transmission then followed alongside an overhaul of the rear axle, brake system, suspension, steering, electrical system, cooling system and exhaust. The car's interior was completely retrimmed, retaining all the original glass albeit the plexiglass side windows. (Full breakdown of restoration works are available upon request).

Mustang chassis #SFM6S798 was then purchased by a prominent U.K. collector in May 2016, who used the car sparingly as he wanted to preserve its wonderful condition. Offered for sale today, the car is presented close to the very condition it was delivered in once restored. Complete with full UK registration, documented history folder, original Shelby parts manual, owner’s manual, service handbook, original bill of sale, Washington registration plates and SAAC (Shelby American Automobile Club) serial number verification certificate.

This offers an excellent opportunity to purchase a truly special American automotive icon, with traceable ownership history, completely ‘nut and bolt’ restored to factory specification and full UK registration.