If you just have to have a Shelby in your garage, you have options. You can wait to get your hands on one of the new models or bid on one of the old-school cars next month.
Five Shelbys from the 1960s will be crossing the block at Dana Mecum’s 28th Original Spring Classic at the Indiana State Fairgrounds May 12-17. Two of them are Cobras, another two are GT350s, and the fifth is a (supercharged) GT350H.
The descriptions for them are chock-full of details. For instance, the Silver/Red 1965 289 Cobra Roadster failed to find a buyer back in the day, so it was returned to Shelby American by its first dealer. In 1967, Shelby’s own Hi-Performance Motors in El Segundo, California sold it to another dealer.
The 6,970-mile 1966 GT350, which could go for as much as $400,000, is unrestored and features its factory Ivy Green paint and Black interior.
“According to the Shelby Registry, [the 1966 GT350H] … has the earliest serial number of any GT350H with known whereabouts.”
By reading about the various Shelbys that will be up for sale, you’ll learn a lot about the company’s history, including the problems it experienced with trunk-mounted batteries, 16-inch steering wheels, and racing brakes.
Give all five of the Shelbys a look in the following mini gallery. You can find out more about each car by clicking the Mecum link below.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
