| The 1965 Ford Mustang was one of the most | | | | Shelby GT-350 had a top speed of 130 miles per |
| successful cars ever built, selling over one million in | | | | hour, and was rated at 306 horsepower versus |
| the first eighteen months. This iconic car formed | | | | the 271 horsepower of the standard Mustang. An |
| the basis for the 1965 Shelby GT-350. In 1964, | | | | optional supercharger reportedly boosted the |
| legendary Carroll Shelby was approached by Ford | | | | horsepower over 400, cutting the zero to 60 |
| to produce a race version of the popular 1965 | | | | time to just five seconds. |
| Mustang. Shelby had been a racer in the 1950's; | | | | On the exterior, the steel hood was replaced with |
| by 1960, he had retired, becoming a designer of | | | | a fiberglass one with a functional hood scoop. |
| high-performance cars | | | | Inside, the Shelby included racing seatbelts and a |
| Shelby built 100 of these cars by the first of the | | | | missing back seat, to qualify the Shelby GT-350 |
| year in 1965. All were painted white with blue | | | | as a sports car under SCCA rules. Though the |
| pinstripes. This super-tuned version of the | | | | first 250 or so were white with blue stripes, the |
| Mustang was designed to give the Mustang name | | | | last several hundred came in red, blue, green, and |
| an image of high performance, and it was very | | | | black, all with white stripes. Shelby eventually |
| successful at doing exactly that. The car won five | | | | added an optional fold-down rear seat. |
| of the Sports Car Club of America's six divisions | | | | While these GT-350 versions were meant for the |
| in its first year, and went on to be the SCCA's | | | | street, Shelby also designed a GT-350R model, |
| B-production champion for three years in a row. | | | | with special features for the track including |
| They are said to be as close to a street-legal | | | | high-power heads, a stripped interior, and a |
| racing car as has ever been offered by an | | | | super-duty suspension, along with other changes, |
| American motor company. | | | | reducing the weight by over 300 pounds. |
| Differences from the regular Mustang included a | | | | In all, 562 Shelby GT-350 cars were produced in |
| pumped up engine and reinforced suspension. | | | | 1965, with less than thirty of these as GT-350R |
| Shelby added a big four-barrel carburetor, | | | | racers. At an initial price of $4,547, this was |
| free-flow exhaust headers, and other | | | | several thousand more than a V8 Mustang, and a |
| high-performance modifications. A rear axle from | | | | few hundred more than a Chevy Corvette. |
| the Ford Galaxie replaced the stock assembly, | | | | Although they were quite expensive when first |
| along with bigger drum brakes in the rear and | | | | sold, many critics actually believed that it would |
| new disc brakes in the front. A set of | | | | not achieve collectible status because too many |
| cast-aluminum wheels and high-performance | | | | were produced. Today, the car remains quite |
| Goodyear tires, as well as a quick-ratio steering | | | | popular among collectors. Though it is out of reach |
| box, made the Shelby GT-350 handling much | | | | for most car enthusiasts, numerous diecast model |
| more impressive than that of the standard | | | | and pedal car versions satisfy collectors' appetites |
| Mustang, known to have a strong understeer. The | | | | for this classic sports car. |