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1-of-152: 1969 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 Hertz

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.

Comments

  1. Avatar AJ

    “Values slowly rising”

    Really? You could have fooled me. I sold 2 last year for 75% of what they would have brought 10 years ago.

    This car is probably worth 65k. A 351 Windsor automatic is not overly interesting.

    Like 6
  2. Avatar Classic Steel

    Love it… dropping prices or not ..
    Rent a racers made it to-many drag strips.
    $12 per day or $60 week plus 11 cents per mile…

    Or 2.75 cents per quarter mile additional fee …

    Good bones and history
    I would love to have this one ☝️

    Like 2
  3. Avatar Troy s

    Anyone know of or remember Stark Hickey Ford over there on Woodward? That’s where it was ordered, for a little over 4200 bucks. Nice looking machine that’s for sure.

    Like 3
  4. Avatar Gaspumpchas

    By this point in time, I believe Shelby had broken off ties with ford, and with the smog stuff on the horizon, The fire breathing shelbys were scarce. This looks like a nice one, Look er over and under real good. Seems like a lot of coin for this.
    Good luck to the new owner!
    Cheers
    GPC

    Like 3
    • Avatar CATHOUSE

      You are correct, Mr. Shelby was no longer involved in the production of these cars when this one was built. If I am remembering correctly the 1967 models were the last ones that he had a hand with.

      Like 3
  5. Avatar Raymond Jacinto

    Go an Auction get one already fix – up 35% people.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Robert McKenney

    Wow! What a car. I wonder what it will bid up to.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Tony S

    They didn’t take 49900 for it so I guess the reserve is higher. I don’t see it being worth much more than the 50K because this car has a lot of little stuff to get attention paid to before it can hit the 65-75 mark. Try to remember, it’s a autodealer trying to sell it and that’s why the reserve hasn’t been met.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar TimM

    It is truely a nice car and I love the paint but it would be a lot nicer with a 4 speed and the third pedal!!

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Machcopper

    I actually was the high bidder on this car on Ebay and it did not reach the reserve. We settled on a price I believe around $52k but after the seller sending me a bit more detailed pics I decided to pass. The engine was not running very well, the two back quarter panels had a lot of bondo bleeding through the yellow paint and there was a small area on the frame rail that was rusted out. I opted to buy a 69 Shelby GT500 Drag pack car for $65.5k instead with it being an unmolested original interior, exterior car with a paint chip here and there patina. Im happy

    Like 0
    • Avatar gaspumpchas

      Just curious Machcopper, you were going to buy a rustang for $52 large without looking at it in person? Not trying to belittle you, but there is so much fraud out there it almost seems like a dumping ground for Rotten cars. Glad you made out ok in your purchase. Stay safe and good luck!
      Cheers
      GPC

      Like 0

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