In a world filled with a seemingly endless supply of restored cars, the cars which have become the stand outs of the hobby are those which have been preserved over their 50+ years of existence. The car seen before you today, 1967 Shelby GT500 #3167, is certainly one of those cars and has survived up until the present day in remarkably original condition.
3167 was completed by Shelby American, Inc. at the very end of their production run at 6501 W. Imperial Highway in Los Angles. In fact, 3167 was completed only 10 days prior to the day that the very last 67 Shelby would be completed at the iconic facility. From there on, operations would transfer to Michigan and, some say, the "Shelby magic" was either lost of greatly diminished.
3167 was delivered new through Pletcher Ford, Inc in Jenkintown, PA and still retains their metal dealer emblem mounted right above its driver's side exhaust tip! Though the original owner is not known, 3167 was purchased by second owner Mark Bauder of Hellertown, PA around 1974 as a weekend car but was stored away soon after, likely in 1977 as noted on the PA inspection sticker still present on the car's windshield.
For the next 40 years, 3167 remained in storage and out of view of the collector car hobby before being discovered in 2017 by SAAC Concours Judge and 67 GT500 expert Dominic Ciliberto. Upon finding the car, Dominic wasted no time in recommissioning 3167 for the road and displayed it at the 50th Anniversary GT500 event at Carlisle.
As it stands today, 3167 survives in its original paint and retains its original drivetrain. Further, the car retains most all the rare and unique parts which are specific to 1967 GT500s. The engine compartment of 3167 has remaining remarkably original and un-modified since the day the car was built. The interior on 3167 is really something to behold, still retaining all of its original components from its carpeting all the way up to the mint condition headliner.
Also, it goes without saying that 3167 retains all the massively important elements that any good 1967 Shelby should have. All the Ford serial numbers are present and undisturbed and the original Shelby American serial number tag is in place with its original rivets still attaching it to the car.
Overall, the real appeal of a true survivor car is that they display an honest and time earned patina which can never be replicated. In today's collector car world, these cars go for enough money that a car in just about any state of disrepair or abuse can be restored to concours perfection. What is truly difficult to find is an example which has been cared for and maintained over the course of its life and never restored. These sorts of cars, while sometimes cosmetically on the rougher side of things, give an owner comfort in that they know exactly what they have. They know for certain that their Shelby Mustang has never been cut in half, wrapped around a tree, or made from nothing but a serial number in an attempt by an ill-intentioned party to deceive. Survivors have an authenticity and genuine nature to them which can't be found in most any restored car..history oozes from these cars in the form of the patina they exude which can only be earned over the course of 50 years. For these reasons and many more, the cars which truly get the attention in today's hobby and at car shows of any level are the unrestored survivor type cars.
If you are interested in becoming the next caretaker of this wonderfully original GT500, please do not hesitate to reach out for further information!
