For Sale at Auction: 1969 Shelby GT in Monterey, California

Chassis No. 9F03R482847

One of only 246 GT500 convertibles built for 1969, this extraordinarily special Shelby was a special-order, originally in Wimbledon White with white Clarion knit and Decor vinyl bucket seats and equipped with the C-6 automatic transmission, Traction-Lok differential, power front disc brakes and steering, tilt-away steering wheel, Selectaire air conditioning, AM/FM Deluxe stereo radio, intermittent windshield wipers, complete tinted glass, Deluxe seatbelts, color-keyed racing mirrors, tachometer and trip odometer, and competition suspension. All of these facts are documented by an accompanying Marti Report, and all of it is less significant than the original owner - Carroll Shelby, as he would say, 'his own self.'

Shelby purchased the car after it had been used as a Shelby Automotive 'company car' for several months and had about 8,166 miles. As he recounted in a detailed feature article on the car in the Summer 2008 issue of Mustang Monthly, some 30,000 miles were then accrued in three months by one of the salesmen at his wheel company, before the boss finally took it back. Both of Shelby's sons then drove it to college at UCLA. The man whose name was on the car rebuilt the motor in 1978, painting it red rather than the usual blue in the process, then had the body repainted Candyapple Red and the hood pins removed in 1980, and fitted an auxiliary fuel pump in the trunk controlled by a toggle switch under the dashboard. "Sixty-seven-style" wheels from the Shelby Wheel Company also found their way into place.

Shelby continued to drive the car at his ranch in Texas, then back in California, into the early 1990s, and finally put it on display in his museum. In the later years of Shelby's ownership, the car underwent a complete restoration under the direction of Stephen Becker in the hands of Jim Cowles' Shelby Parts & Restoration in Wisconsin. Cowles told Mustang Monthly that while the car had the expected bumps and bruises from a lifetime as a "driver," it remained a very solid rust-free car and an easy basis for the work. Today it is clear that the restoration was to a very high standard, with correct equipment, finishes, and markings seen throughout, and even the undercarriage was properly finished with primer and overspray in all the expected locations.

In 2008, Carroll Shelby finally parted with his beloved GT500, selling it to noted collector Ron Pratte. Last owned by Pratte, the Gateway Automobile Museum acquired the car in 2015, only its third home since new, from which it is offered today still in excellent overall condition. Shelby's signature remains on the dashboard, which is, of course, not uncommon - but it is uncommon for his signature to appear on an automobile that he owned longer than most others.

Collection Guarantee Disclosure

Please note that as part of a larger collection to be offered at live and online auctions, the Consignor of the Gateway Collection has been guaranteed a minimum price for certain cars, including this Lot, by Broad Arrow. Depending on the final Hammer Price obtained for those Lots, Broad Arrow may benefit financially.