With 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 318 convertibles.

This Shelby GT 500KR convertible is among this rare breed. One of the 318 GT 500KR convertibles, it is gorgeous in its original color of Wimbledon White with black interior and a new white soft-top per original specs. This “King of the Road” has the 428-cid Cobra Jet V-8 engine and four-speed manual transmission with Traction-Lok rear end. It is generously equipped with air conditioning, tilt-away steering wheel, Visibility Group, Interior Décor Group, power steering and brakes, power top with glass backlite, radio, rollbar, 10-spoke Shelby alloy wheels and BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires.

Sources indicate that this exceptional car was shipped to Carrollton, Texas on March 21, 1968 and was possibly assigned to the Administrative Manager for that Ford district (as other cars were) and thereafter sold as an executive car. The selling dealer is believed to have been Birge Motor Company in Wichita Falls, Texas. The car is accompanied by a copy of its build sheet and also a Deluxe Marti Report. This legendary machine has less than 29,000 actual miles; further adding to the inborn cache that all Shelby models possess.