For those burdened with with too much money, there are four wonderful ways to relieve themselves of some at Louisville’s Mecum Auctions next week. From September 21 to 23, four immaculate Shelbys will cross the auction block and set everyone’s latent teenage imaginations alight. Let’s hope these beautiful creations find loving homes.
The first of this pack is an iconic ‘68 GT350 fastback, painted in classic Wimbeldon White with Guardsmen Blue racing stripes. Under the hood: a date-correct, J-code 302 CI, which drives through an automatic transmission back to 10-spoke Shelby wheels wrapped in period-correct E70-15 Goodyear Polyglas Speedway tires.
On the inside, an Original Black Deluxe interior including carpet, headliner, seat covers, steering wheel, original Stewart Warner gauges, console and date-correct seatbelts with reels welcome the owner. On long hauls, air conditioning will keep the occupants comfortable.
With original panels, early production square quarter panel marker lights, an original fiberglass hood and deck lid, the newest owner can rest assured the car has been babied most of its life. Hopefully, that will show in the price next week.
The second offering is another GT350 – though this one lacks a top, those rear window louvers, and a cushy automatic transmission. This Candy Apple Red convertible’s J-Code 302 sends power to the 3.89 rear end via a 4-speed manual transmission, then on to Shelby 10-spoke rims with whitewall tires.
Inside, black leather covers everything. Perhaps a more difficult choice of interior color for sunny days, but it does look spiffy – especially the tilt steering column and the original Stewart Warner gauges. Written on the tachometer: 73, 120 original miles. The untampered red gem will make one happy owner look forward to summer cruises.
The punchiest Shelby crossing the auction block is a ‘68 GT500 doused in Candy Apple Red with black bucket seats to hold the occupants snugly. That sort of support is valued in a car with a 428 CI engine spitting 335 horsepower to a Ford 9” rear, which will generate good traction and plenty of g-force.
Disc brakes up front will bring the Shelby to a stop when needed, and when cruising along at a good rate, the AM/FM radio with an 8-track, set against a wood dash, should offer some relaxation. The car is unrestored but well-maintained and reshod with new Goodyear tires recently. Of the group, it’s the unwashed rockstar – you ought to start looking for some of those Foreigner 8-tracks collecting dust in your attic.
There is one more GT500 up for auction, but this one is more the well-groomed studio musician. Its lightweight body panels are doused in Acapulco Blue, and the 428 CI Ram Air Cobra Jet V8 engine sends power through a C6 Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. The rest of the car is suitably sporty; race-tuned suspension and a Traction-Lok differential provides the stick that the Cobra Jet’s grunt requires.
It’s also the prettiest of the bunch, sharklike and menacing while still worthy of parking in front of a high-end hotel or a Michelin star-winning restaurant. With a sport deck rear seat, power front disc brakes and power steering, as well as air conditioning, it’s also comfortable everyday. It simply has it all; who wouldn’t want something that pristine yet intimidating?
For those interested in viewing these beauties, the auctions open at 8 AM on Thursday at the Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, Kentucky. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enjoy watching some of the best looking Mustangs in existence go to a deserving bidder – and if you’re fortunate enough to place a competitive bid, we wish you a rewarding future with your new investment.
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