With an ever-increasing consumer appetite for Shelby products, and in an effort to shorten the shipping distance of bare Mustangs from which the Shelbys were constructed, Ford successfully lobbied to move Shelby production out of California and to Michigan for the 1968 model year. The 1968 Shelby model lineup styling essentially carried over from 1967, and for the first time Shelby offered each model as a convertible. 1968 would also see the introduction of the new, top-of-the-line GT500 KR. A total of 4,451 Shelbys were produced for 1968 and they are revered by many as the last of the breed, as Ford would take over control of Shelby Mustang design and production for 1969, moving it all in house.

This 1968 Shelby GT500 Fastback was ordered on 7 September 1967. Initially produced at Metuchen, New Jersey, this Shelby left the plant finished in Highland Green over Black knit Vinyl. Powering the Shelby was the legendary 428-cubic-inch Police Interceptor V-8 which was backed by a four-speed manual transmission that sent power to a 3.50:1 conventional rear axle. Options on the car included shoulder harnesses, extra cooling package, visibility group, wheel lip moldings, Sport Deck rear seat, power disc brakes, power steering, Tilt-Away steering wheel, AM radio, interior decor group, and a heavy-duty battery. It was completed on 9 December 1967, four days ahead of schedule, and later shipped to Hayward Motors of Hayward, California on 22 January 1968. According to the SAAC registry MSRP was $4,876.60. The original owner of the car was a Daniel B. Kelly of Oakland, California. Subsequent ownership is not known until July 2001, when it was purchased by a Michigan resident who would go on to own the car until August of 2006; from there, it would make its way east to Connecticut. Present ownership purchased the car in January 2017.

Today this GT500 is finished in Highland Green over a Black interior with a dash and console with woodgrain trim, just as it left the factory; the dash has been signed by Carroll Shelby. It rides on 15-inch Shelby 10-spoke wheels with Goodyear Eagle GTII tires, and White Le Mans stripes complete the exterior look. The console houses the Hurst four-speed shifter with cue-ball handle. Further up the console are Stewart Warner oil pressure and amp gauges, and just above that is a Philco radio. The bucket seats feature lap belts and shoulder harnesses mounted to the rollbar for additional safety during spirited driving. The rear of the car offers seating for two that can fold flat when not needed. GT500 rubber floor mats protect the front and rear carpet.

As one of 1,019 Shelby GT500 Fastbacks built for 1968—making it rarer, in fact, than a 1968 Shelby GT500 KR Fastback—this highly desirable factory four-speed, finished in Highland Green over Black, is a nicely equipped example of one of the most celebrated Carroll Shelby creations.