Nineteen sixty-six brought yet another year of styling changes to Ford’s hugely popular Mustang. Carroll Shelby, quick to capitalize on the Mustang’s new style, revised the GT 500 mid-year and called it the GT 500KR, short for “King of the Road.” The 1968 Shelby GT 500KR was indeed worthy of its name, boasting incredible horsepower, a luxurious interior, and the meanest Mustang redesign yet. As a result, the GT 500KR was all about power and quickly became a favorite.

The GT 500 returned in 1969, but no GT 500KRs were built after 1968. Production totaled 933 coupes and 518 convertibles.

This Shelby GT500-KR convertible is among the rarest of the rare. One of the 518 GT 500KR convertibles, it is gorgeous in its original shade of Royal Maroon, of which, we are told, this car is a one-of-one example. According to provided documents, only three 1968 Shelbys were built with Royal Maroon paint; this is the only convertible of this select group. To add to the uncommon nature of this Shelby, it has Saddle interior and top boot.

With outstanding documentation to support this one-of-one privilege; this “King of the Road” may arguably be one of the rarest of those to be found. This outstanding machine comes with the original Build Sheet, full production research courtesy of Kevin Marti and MartiAutoWorks that includes the Deluxe Report, personal stat report and a letter from Mr. Marti that supports the statement that this Shelby is indeed a one-off proposition.

This unique Shelby has been fully restored with its correct from the factory drivetrain that includes the 428-cid Cobra Jet V-8 engine, C-6 automatic transmission and standard 3.00:1 rear end. Other desirable factory equipment includes air conditioning, white power convertible top with glass backlite, GT Equipment Group, Visibility Group, tilt steering column, Interior Décor Group, AM/FM stereo radio, tinted glass, tachometer, trip odometer; power steering and brakes with front discs. The correct 10-spoke Shelby aluminum wheels are another attractive option found on the car.

To further add to the fine provenance of this GT 500KR, it is thought to have been a Shelby American car that was personally used by Carroll Shelby’s wife in period. An inquiry into this resulted in the following response from Shelby Automobiles Vice President of Operations, Gary Patterson:

“This car was listed and "owned" by "Shelby American" for a period of time. This was typical of cars used by staff members or for development and testing. As such Ms. Shelby could have used this car ...... it was never listed in her name but then it wouldn't be.”