This 1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 is said to be a solid vehicle that has been garaged for its entire life. It comes with a raft of documentation, and with values climbing slowly but steadily, it might offer the next owner the opportunity to purchase a classic that would not only be enjoyable to own and drive but might also represent a pretty decent long-term investment. If that sounds like a winning combination, then you will find the Ford located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $40,023, and I’m not surprised to see that the reserve has not been met.

I’m sure that I’m not alone in really liking some of the vibrant colors that manufacturers have applied to their cars over the years, and Grabber Yellow is a real beauty. The owner says that the car is solid, and there are certainly no visible signs of rust in any of the panels. We don’t get any photos of the vehicle’s underside, but if it really has been garaged for its entire life, then it is feasible that it is free of any rust issues. Having said that, there is some evidence of surface corrosion in a few spots around the engine bay, so I’d be inclined to give the car a pretty thorough inspection to ensure that all is well. The Ford has been the recipient of at least a partial repaint back in 1978, but this hasn’t been undertaken completely faithfully. Amongst the included documentation is a Marti Report. This indicates that the car rolled off the line with the blackout hood treatment, but this is no longer in evidence. Otherwise, all of the external chrome and trim, along with the factory tinted glass, looks to be in good condition.

Powering the Mustang is the M-Code 351ci Windsor motor, producing 290hp. Backing this is an FMX automatic transmission, while the car also features a 3.00 Traction-Lok rear end, power steering, and power front disc brakes. This is a numbers-matching car that has been listed on the Shelby Registry and even sports Mr. Shelby’s autograph on the top of the air cleaner. The presentation under the hood is nowhere near as good as I would expect from a car that has been pampered during its life, so I’d be interested in gaining some insight into just what sort of life the car has lived. Regardless, the owner does say that the Mustang fires right up. Hopefully, this also means that it runs and drives well. Information on this aspect of the car is a little bit sparse, to say the least.

The eBay listing for the Ford is quite contradictory because the Marti Report indicates that the car rolled off the line fitted with the high-back bucket seats, upholstered in Black Clarion Knit/Corinthian Vinyl. The listing itself then talks about the car featuring Brown leather upholstery, but for my money, this looks more like the former rather than the latter. Anyway, the condition of the interior looks to be quite good, with only a bit of minor wear and fading providing any indication of the vehicle’s age. A perfectionist might be inclined to either dye or replace the carpet, but as an original survivor, it definitely passes muster. The owner identifies the only interior fault being the fact that the clock doesn’t work. Otherwise, everything is present, and it all works as it should. Optional equipment fitted to the Shelby includes air conditioning, an AM/FM stereo radio, tachometer, trip odometer, a tilt-away wheel, and a Sport Deck rear seat.

The Hertz “Rent-a-Racer” program was quite a success, and there were plenty of people who chose to rent a Shelby GT350 for a mere $12 per day. Of course, if you were feeling quite affluent, then you could hand over $60, plus 11 cents per mile, and keep the car for an entire week. In the first year of the program, Hertz chose to purchase 1,000 cars, but by 1969, only 152 cars were ordered and delivered. Today, a nice example will fetch somewhere in the region of $80,000, but a pristine example can easily push into the six-figure territory. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see whether this one sells, and if it does, what the final sales figure is.