11,558 original miles. Completely stock, right down to the tires.
Serial number 445. Correct Shelby number plates and details. Very
clean throughout, never in salt or snow. A pedigreed Shelby with a
distinctive look that's very easy to live with.Shelby did a run of
500 Hertz fastbacks in 2006 and a run of 500 convertibles in 2007,
of which this is serial number 445. Hertz took possession of all
500 cars for their 'Fun Collection' in select cities across the US.
They were contractually obligated to put them into rental service
for a year, after which they were auctioned and purchased by
private owners. The first one sold for more than $200,000, with
most of the others going for between $40,000 and $60,000, depending
on mileage. This one shows just 11,558 miles and remains completely
original except for maintenance items and the battery.The Shelby
GT-H models only came in black with gold stripes, just like the
original 1966 version, making them some of the most iconic and
recognizable of all high-performance Mustangs. Ford delivered black
ragtops to Shelby's Las Vegas facility for the upgrades and this is
among the very last cars that Carroll Shelby himself developed
before his passing. Finish quality is quite impressive, but then
again, for a car with an original sticker price of more than
$55,000, that shouldn't be a surprise. Exterior upgrades include a
special hood with locking pins, a billet grille with offset Mustang
emblem, just like the original GT350, and a deeper chin spoiler
with fog lights and cooling ducts for the front brakes, plus the
side scoops on the quarters. Of course, the gold stripes, rear
wing, and SHELBY block letters on the trunk were added, but nobody
really needs to be reminded what kind of car this is. And as a
result of it spending 90% of its life as a cherished collector's
item, it remains in exemplary condition. The paint shines up
beautifully, there are no critical dings or signs of neglect, and
even as a rental, it seems that buyers took the care of this Shelby
seriously. It is not perfect, of course, but it looks exactly the
way you'd expect a low-mileage collectable to look.The interior
received its share of upgrades as well, starting the moment you
open the door with special aluminum Shelby GT-H step plates with
the car's serial number engraved on their faces, and including the
special light bar that looks like the original GT350's roll hoop.
Everything was standard on the GT-H, including cold A/C, power
windows, locks, mirrors, and seats, leather upholstery, cruise
control, and a robust Shaker 500 AM/FM/CD stereo system. And before
you complain about the automatic shifter in the center console,
bear in mind that most of the original Shelby GT350H cars were also
automatics?a necessary piece of being a rental vehicle. In short,
the automatic transmission IS the whole point here. The gauges are
beautiful throwbacks to the '60s and Ol' Shel himself put his
signature on the plate in the center of the dash (and yes, it's
actually signed, not printed with the rest of the plate).
Everything works, of course, including the black canvas power top,
which stows itself in seconds and folds itself in such a way that
you don't even need a boot for it to look clean. There's even a
reasonably-sized trunk that can carry your luggage for a fantastic
performance-oriented road trip.Most of the GT-H improvements are
under the skin, making this much more than a Mustang GT with some
special stripes. Shelby balanced performance and reliability with
this combination, adding a 90mm cold air intake, special mufflers
and X-pipe, and a custom calibration on the ECM to make it easy to
drive (rental, remember!). None of that compromises reliability or
the bulletproof nature of Ford's 4.6 liter OHC V8, which stomps out
a very entertaining 325 horsepower and 320 pounds of torque with
the most wonderful V8 soundtrack this side of Lagua Seca. The
engine bay is further dressed up with a custom strut tower brace
that makes a noticeable difference in front-end rigidity.But
perhaps the most wonderful detail of all is that little wire
wrapped around the passenger's shock tower and attached to the
engine. You might recall stories about the original GT350H
'Rent-A-Racer' Mustangs being rented, their engines removed, and
the cars returned with garden-variety 289s under the hood. Whether
that ever happened is probably more folklore than reality, but
clearly Shelby designers had some fun with this new GT-H, because
that security wire is intended to discourage that kind of nonsense.
Nobody's stealing Ford 4.6 engines today, but it's a nice nod to
history that only the truly dedicated fans will recognize and
enjoy.A quick-witted 5-speed automatic transmission was the only
option in the GT-H, but you won't suffer for it, as this sucker is
also equipped with a Ford Motorsports 3.55 rear gearset to get it
off the line with authority. The suspension is lowered 1.5 inches
compared to a standard GT and uses the Ford Racing Handling Pack
(FR3), which includes custom dampers, sway bars, and the
aforementioned strut tower brace. 4-wheel disc brakes were standard
and are plenty powerful for the GT-H, although the Shelbys did
receive custom silver paint to make them stand out a bit. The
undercarriage on this car shows very little use and exactly zero
time in the snow and salt, so it is extremely clean and solid with
no issues at all. All the original decals, markings, and other
little things that detail-oriented Shelby fans expect are still
intact. It has never been wrecked, raced, or otherwise modified,
and it drives like a new car with a tightness that you might not
expect from a 19-year-old ragtop. The GT-H sits on special 18-inch
wheels that look very much like vintage Torque Thrusts, and they're
wrapped in 235/40/18 BFGoodrich T/A radials, which we believe are
the original tires.This is a shockingly affordable piece of Shelby
history and if the original GT350H is any indicator, its day will
come. GT500s are a dime a dozen, but this is a genuine
limited-production car with an awesome story to tell, and that's
what makes some cars more special than others. That, plus the fact
that it's just a blast to drive. We can't remember the last time we
had this much fun behind the wheel of a late-model car, and that
says a great deal about how special this Mustang truly is. Call
today!Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or
professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to
purchase.
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