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- 1968 Shelby Mustang GT350, GT500 and GT500 KR: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 3
There were Mustangs, and then there were Mustangs. The latter is under the microscope in this volume of CarTech's In Detail series featuring the 1968 Shelby GT350, GT500, and GT500 KR.
Although road-going Mustangs were considered sporty, they were not officially sports cars, at least according to the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). And Lee Iacocca knew that on-track performance led to showroom performance, so he needed to go racing. Enter Carroll Shelby. Shelby worked with the SCCA to modify the Mustang to meet the SCCA's requirements and enter the racing arena. The result was the now-legendary Shelby Mustang.
In 1968, Ford sought to take over much of the process of producing Shelby Mustangs and increased that production dramatically to meet anticipated sales demand, so it was a bit of a transition year. In an effort to appeal to muscle car fans rather than race fans, the cars were losing their edgy race car feel and were becoming more high-end performance road cars with a long list of performance and comfort options, including 428 Cobra Jet engines, automatic transmissions, and air-conditioning. They may have no longer been sports cars, but they were now fantastic muscle cars.
Each volume in the In Detail series provides an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, and an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, as well as an examination of where the car is on the market today. Also included are paint and option codes, VIN and build tag decoders, as well as production numbers.
Pages: 96
Size: 8.25 X 9 (inches)
Format: Paperback
Illustrations: 130 color photos
Publisher: CarTech
ISBN: 9781613252925
Product Code: CT572
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1:
Understanding Carroll Shelby’s Mustangs
Peace, Prosperity and Performance
Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday
Declaration Denied
From “Secretary’s Car” to Sports Car
GT350s for Road and Track
A Sedan Racer No Longer
The Process Explained
Special Orders
Chapter 2:
Evolution (into less revolutionary)
Selling Out Means Selling More
Style over Substance, by Design
Chapter 3:
Planning the Most Prolific Shelby Yet
Top Down, Popularity Up
Appearance Was Paramount
But Performance Still Mattered
The “Shelby Cobra” Lives On (sort of)
Change of Venue
A Perfect Storm
A. O. Smith
The Vision Becomes Reality
Production Begins . . . Slowly
“Ding In Roof”
It’s the Economy, Stupid
Chapter 4:
The 1968 Shelby Cobra in Detail: The Same . . . But Different
Keeping It Simple(r)
Cookie-Cutter Consistency
Roger Miller, the Cobra Jet and the King of the Road
The Snake is Quicker than the Bowtie
Gold (non) Standard
More Color Curiosities
A Reduced Rent-a-Racer Revival
More Appropriate for the Masses
Chapter 5:
A Shelby Cobra Hardtop (sort of)
Camaro, Firebird and Javelin Made it Happen
CS (but not for Carroll Shelby)
Built for California, in California
Chapter 6:
Legacy and Legend
Explaining (or trying to) the Unexplainable
Affordability Begets Unaffordability
The Price Pyramid
Extraordinary within the Mundane
The Numbers Game
Trust . . . But Verify
Shelby’s Mustang, Redefined
Appendix A:
Comparative 1968 Shelby Cobra Performance Data
Appendix B:
1968 Shelby Production Numbers, Colors and Prices
Appendix C:
1968 Shelby Numerology: VIN Codes and Tags
Reviews
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Awesome!
Review by Mmmjay
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For the love of Mustangs this is the book you want to peruse for the beautiful photographs and the technical details of this classic muscle car. The legend of this rocket car continues. Its never been surpassed.
(Posted on 3/28/2017) -
The go-to book for the 1968 Shelby Mustang
Review by LouisianaReader
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Greg Kolasa has written the absolute go-to book for the 1968 Shelby Mustang GT350, GT500 and GT500 KR. The 1968 Shelby Mustang has reached Iconic stature. Mr. Kolasa skillfully explains why. First he explains Ford's efforts to bring muscle to the "Pony" car. To understand the '68, Kolasa provides a brief history of earlier models. The books has numerous expertly taken photos on every page. Simply put, they are beautiful just like the car. The text is well written and easy to follow. The book concludes with an appendix of production specifics. The result is a well written must have book for all Muscle Car enthusiasts.
(Posted on 3/12/2017) -
Lovely Book
Review by Magician56
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I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful photographs and all the information presented in this book. The book is well written and provides tons of information from history of the Mustang to decoding the VIN numbers. It is beautiful enough to keep on the coffee table.
(Posted on 3/6/2017) -
Excellent Read!
Review by Melissa Borsey
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Growing up my Dad had a 1968 Shelby Mustang, it didn't look as beautiful as it should have but it sure sounded wonderful! I loved everything about this book, the text was well written with all the relevant information needed to understand this great car and the pictures were absolute perfection. Highly recommend!
(Posted on 2/27/2017)
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Beautiful book
Review by Cynthia P
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My favorite car of all time is the Mustang! And this book is perfect for the Shelby Mustang enthusiast . This book is well written and gives so much detail about the Shelby Mustang. The pictures are beautiful and it's all in full color. You will not be disappointed in this book. I keep picking it up and just keep dreaming about owning one of these cars. It is a perfect coffee table book. Or a great book for you to have in your car if you own one of these cars and show it at car shows. All I can say is you must get this book!
(Posted on 2/16/2017) -
The Shelby American
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(Posted on 2/6/2017)"Kolasa has left nothing out in telling the 1968 story."
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Hemmings Muscle Machines
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(Posted on 3/23/2017)"A lot of information provided in a compact package."
Greg Kolasa
Greg Kolasa is known to enthusiasts as a contributing Registrar for the Ford GT40 and Hertz (Shelby Mustang) Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC) Registry. Greg has been researching the subject of the Shelby Mustangs for well over a quarter of a century and has access to original factory documentation as well as the personal insights from notable personalities of the day. He is the author of The Definitive Shelby Mustang Guide: 1965-1970, published by CarTech Books, as well as co author of Shelby Mustang GT350: My Years Designing, Testing, and Racing Carroll's Legendary Mustangs, with GT350 Project Engineer Chuck Cantwell, published by David Bull Publishing.
