In a collector car world which seems filled with examples of cars which have lived a questionable existence, rarely do examples come along which display the level of honesty, integrity, and originality as the example being offered here.
SFM6S715 was originally produced as part of the Hertz/Shelby collaboration to bring the experience of driving a Shelby Mustang to the masses. For $17/day and $.17/mile, anyone come walk up to their local Hertz counter and experience the exhilaration of driving one of these cars…a feeling still pursued by today’s enthusiasts albeit with a slightly higher cost of entry!
Originally produced in the iconic livery of Raven Black with Hertz Gold stripes, 6S715 received a radio at Hi-Performance Motors before being dealer prepped Jack Loftus Ford. After its short time as a rental car, 715 was shipped to Courtesy Ford in Colorado where it would be purchased by its first retail owner. Thankfully, upon purchase, 715 was moved to one of the driest areas of the country, along the Colorado/Utah border where it would spend the vast majority of its early years.
Today, the positive effects of that dry Western Colorado climate clearly show through in the attributes of 6S715. As the car survives today, it is one of straightest and most honest Shelby Mustangs which I have had in terms of sheetmetal and originality. Amazingly, the car retains its original, factory-sprayed red oxide floors with the rest of the undercarriage being relatively tidy and undisturbed. In fact, the original factory applied “DSO” marking on the rear end is still evident.
Moving to the top side, the body of this example is laser straight. Though the current paint on the car was done over 10 years ago, the car looks more similar to a car which was painted just last year.
The car is only enhanced by a well sorted, clean, and highly correct engine compartment. 6S715 retains its original, numbers matching 289 HiPo (a real rarity among cars which were routinely thrashed by the general public). Further, while this example was born as an automatic car from new, the car was has had the desirable toploader conversion and, to make things even better, the toploader which was utilized was sourced from another K Code Mustang! That transmission still retains the VIN stamp of a 1965 San Jose-built K Code coupe and it ensures that this car drives and performs just as a factory K-code 4-speed car should.
Finally, the car does not disappoint when you slide down into the driver’s bucket. The interior features a perfectly aged and original Cobra tachometer, original ray brown seat belts which retain their original leather pads and webbing still affixed, and even an original dash pad. The rest of the interior is very clean, well sorted, and in very high end condition. Finally, the interior is finished off with a glovebox door attractively signed by Carroll Shelby.
Overall, what you have here is a 1966 GT350H which remains in highly original state while being brought up cosmetically to a form often not even seen on show cars. It is not often that truly honest examples of 66 Shelbys come up for public sale and 715 is certainly one of those honest cars. To top it off, I have owned many Shelby Mustangs and sold even more…very few cars drive like this one does. 715’s drivetrain is very strong, the car pulls hard, drives tight, has very sure-footed steering, and stops very well. Out of the box, the car will be ready to accompany its next owner to any show or on any road tour.
SFM6S715 has just come out of over 20 years of ownership with its last caretaker and is now ready to find a new home in a another discerning enthusiast’s garage for what will hopefully be another 20 years.
