Chassis No.
8T02J115340-00098
1968 Shelby GT350 Fastback
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$112,000 USD | Sold
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- Sold new through Phillips Ford of Manheim, Pennsylvania
- Finished in Lime Gold over Black vinyl interior; nicely equipped example
- Accompanied by Marti report and documented in the SAAC Registry
- Bought new by a father who purchased it as a gift for his son who was serving in Vietnam
Addendum
Please note that this lot is titled by its Ford chassis number.
By the mid-1960s Carroll Shelby had proved his modified Mustangs were potent cars, on and off the track. Building on the success of the 1965 and 1966 GT350s, Shelby introduced the GT350’s first refresh in 1967. The aggressive look featured a new hood design, round lights integrated into the grille, and scoops added to the rear quarter windows as well as into the side coves ahead of the rear wheels. At the back of the Shelby a rear spoiler was integrated into the trunk and rear quarter extensions and the customary Mustang tri-bar tail lights were replaced with a set of sequential lights barrowed from the Thunderbird. For 1968 the hood design featured a more pronounced twin-snout hood scoop and the grille lights were changed to a more rectangular shape.
This 1968 Shelby GT350 Fastback left the factory finished in Lime Gold over a Black vinyl interior. According to the accompanying Marti Report it was equipped with shoulder harness, extra cooling package, visibility group, wheel lip moldings, Sport Deck rear seat, power disc brakes, power steering, AM radio, interior décor group, heavy duty battery, as well as a tachometer and trip odometer. It was shipped to Francis For Fords in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Shelby was sold as part of Shelby’s Summer Sales contest on 9 October 1968 with Francis For Fords’ salesman Bill Murphy receiving credit for the sale. Interestingly enough however, it wasn’t sold directly to a customer but to another dealer, nearby Phillips Ford in Manheim, Pennsylvania. That same day Phillips Ford salesman Vic Buchter sold the car to Gerald J. Weitzel of Willow Street, Pennsylvania who traded in a 1965 Pontiac LeMans Convertible for the Shelby GT350. Mr. Weitzel purchased the car for his son, Gerald, who was serving in Vietnam. Upon his return from Vietnam he enjoyed the car in its original shade of Lime Gold, later adding a set of Torq Thrust wheels. Under his ownership the car was later painted blue in the early to mid-1970s. He would go on to own the car until approximately 1979 when he sold it to a gentleman in York, Pennsylvania.
The current owner purchased this GT350 in 1999 and subsequently started a full cosmetic restoration. At some point the car had been painted candy apple red so it was stripped to bare metal and returned to its original combination of Lime Gold with Black vinyl interior. During the restoration, the bodywork and engine were found to be in sound condition and all the chrome trim was replaced. The current owner estimates that he drove the car less than 1,000 miles since restoration and it has always been kept inside a climate-controlled garage. It rides on 10-spoke Shelby wheels shod in Goodyear Polyglas tires, with a full spare in the trunk. It’s powered by a 302 cu. in. V-8 engine backed by a four-speed manual transmission. Power steering and power brakes offer a welcome driver assists. The interior is equipped with a roll bar with integrated shoulder harnesses, Cobra branded seatbelts and console armrest, Philco radio and Stewart Warner accessory gauges. The GT350 is documented in the SAAC Registry and is accompanied by a copy of the original sales invoice, Marti Report, and a set of steel wheels with Shelby Cobra wheel covers.
