Hertz So Good
Starting in 1966, Shelby got the kind of contract that most small manufacturers would have killed for. Peyton Cramer, Shelby American general manager, was the man behind the plan. That plan was for Hertz to buy cars from Shelby. When all was said and done, Shelby signed on the dotted line with Hertz rental car agency to produce 1,000 GT350s for the Sports Car Club. Of course, that wasn't the end. Many folks don't realize that after 1967, Hertz continued to buy Shelby GT350s and even GT500s for the rest of the Shelby American life cycle. These cars are not as easy to identify on the surface because they are pulled from regular production.
'66 Shelby GT350H
(see page 22 for specs)
Price Then: $3,750 (to Hertz)
If New Now: $19,282.50
Rental Price: Then $17.00 plus $0.17 a mile
If Available Now: $87.41 plus $0.87 a mile
Value Now: Between $30,850 and $46,275 (CPI Value Guide)
Transmission: Borg-Warner four-speed (85 cars). All others were C4 automatics
Differential: 3.89:1, 3.50:1 on the automatic
Brakes: Front disc with rear drum, functional rear cooling vents added (sticker placed on some cars noted hard braking due to competition brakes). Some cars received power-brake boosters
Wheels: Magnum 500 steel 14x5 chrome wheels (though the early cars had the '65 base wheels). Optional wheels (early) were 15x6 Cragar/Shelby steel-rim aluminum-center wheels. Later could be ordered with the 14x611/42 or 631/44 aluminum 10-spoke wheels
Colors: Wimbledon White with blue GT350H stripes (all others had gold GT350H stripes), Candyapple Red, Sapphire Blue, Ivy Green, Raven Black. LeMans Stripes were gold or blue
Interior Add-Ons: Standard black with tach mounted on the dash, aftermarket steering wheel, and AM radio
Quarter-Mile ET.: 15.60 at 94 mphTop Speed: 124 mph at 6,100 rpmTotal Street Production: 1,365
Hertz Production by Year:'66 GT350 Fastbacks: 999'68 GT350 Fastbacks: 224'68 GT500 Fastbacks: 2'68 GT500KR Convertibles: 1'69 GT350 SportsRoofs: 152
CompetitionShelby American actually "backward engineered" the street version of the '65 GT350 from the competition model. What was really cool about the Competition model (often referred to as the "R" model by hobbyists) was that it was the only time, until 1993, that Ford had offered a full road-race car to the general buying public. Prior to that, the only type of race car that had been built was the Fairlane Thunderbolt.
The Competition model had been developed to compete in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) racing and held its own very well in the fray. There were 34 Competition models built and raced by the "public," and two prototype cars were raced by the factory team. Below is a list of the special items on the Comp cars to give you an idea of how much Shelby did or didn't tone down the street car.
'65 Shelby GT350Value Now: N/A Engine: 289 High Performance, fully competition preppedPower Adders: Shelby high-rise intake and 715-cfm Holley carburetor, Tri-Y headersDress-Up: None-it's a race car!Transmission: Borg-Warner T-10, wide or close ratioDifferential: 3.89:1 Detroit Locker or 4.11, 4.33, 3.70
Brakes: Front 11.3-inch diameter disc with 10x211/42-inch rear drum
Suspension Mods: Extra-heavy-duty springs front and rear, upper control arms lowered 1 inch, new pitman and idler arms, Koni shocks at all four corners, 1-inch front sway bar, rear override traction bars (mounted over the axle), axle-limiting cables, export brace, and Monte Carlo bar
Wheels: Steel 15x7 Magnesium American
Tire Recommendations: Goodyear Stock Car Specials 15x6.70 or Goodyear Sports Car Specials 15x9.75
Other: Fiberglass hood and front apron with functional brake airscoops, Plexiglass rear window for ventilation and weight savings, lightweight side windows, fireproof interior, special instruments in custom panel, rollover protection, oil cooler