In order for Ford’s new 4 seat Mustang to compete in the SCCA’s B Production class Carroll Shelby set about building a series of Shelby Mustang G.T. 350’s to meet the series regulations which stipulated a requirement for a minimum 100 examples of a “2 seat sports car”.

To power the new “sports car” Shelby used the K-Code 271 hp 4.7 litre / 289 cui V8 modified with the aid of the Cobra “hi riser” intake manifold fed by the scoop in the fibre glass bonnet / hood and dual side exhausts, to produce 306 hp.

Having opted for limited engine modifications the SCCA permitted more radical race suspension options which in the G.T. 350’s case ran to lowered A arms, heavy duty shock absorbers and upper arms, a heavy duty Ford Galaxie rear axle and “over rider” traction bars fitted above the rear leaf springs.

The space where the back seat had been was taken up by a full size spare wheel comprising Goodyear Blue Spot tyre on either a 15″ steel wheel or a 15″ cast magnesium Crager Shelby item.

34 G.T.350 R race spec cars were built and between them they captured 3 consecutive B Production class SCCA titles from 1965 to 1967 with Mexican Freddy Van Buren winning the ’67 title along with the 1966 and 1967 Trans Am titles.

The rest of the Shelby G.T. 350’s, including today’s featured car were built for road use though the owner of this one confesses that “Driving a 1965 Shelby Mustang G.T.350 is a blast for the first 20 to 30 minuets… after that it starts to hurt”.

All 562 Shelby Mustang G.T. 350’s were painted Wimbledon white and had the Guardsman Blue rocker stripes with the G.T. 350 logo, only 28% had the full length Guardsman Blue Le Mans stripes from new, though now nearly all of them do.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs taken at Niello Concours at Serrano a couple of years ago.

I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at one of my all time favourate FIAT’s. Don’t forget to come back now !