THE STORY
Per its listing in the official Shelby Registry, this Sunlit Gold 1968 GT500 Convertible, No. 02739, was originally shipped to Robie Ford Sales in Dorchester, Massachusetts, after its conversion into a Shelby on the A.O. Smith assembly line in Michigan.
By 1968, the Shelby Mustang had reached a new level of maturity and refinement., described in Shelby advertising and literature as “The Road Car.” No longer the loud and boisterous boy-racer of 1965, the fourth year of Carroll Shelby’s Mustang offered a combination of performance, handling, comfort and distinctive styling, especially the stylized rollbar in the first regular production Shelby convertible. With design assistance from Ford, the 1968 Shelby’s fiberglass panels were updated with a new nose with Lucas fog lights in the grille, hood with forward-placed twin scoops, and rear end with sequential 1965 Thunderbird taillights. While the standard Mustang big-block was a 390, the Shelby GT500 stepped up to a 360 HP 428 Police Interceptor with an aluminum high-rise intake manifold, 735 CFM Holley 4-barrel carburetor, open-element oval air cleaner and finned aluminum valve covers.
The Mustang’s woodgrain-trimmed Deluxe interior was enhanced by a special Shelby console with Stewart-Warner gauges and a thick, padded armrest with an embossed Shelby snake logo. Capable but smooth handling was provided by the Mustang’s heavy-duty suspension that was updated to Shelby specs with unique progressive-rate springs, adjustable Gabriel shocks and a thicker front sway bar. Power steering and power front disc brakes were also part of the Shelby package. This beautiful Sunlit Gold 1968 Shelby GT500 Convertible is equipped with the popular 15-inch 10-spoke wheels. The Police Interceptor 428 and C6 3-speed automatic transmission were rebuilt in 2020 by Kemah Classic Automotive.
HIGHLIGHTS
