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1968 Shelby Mustang GT350, GT500 and GT500 KR: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 3

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1968 Shelby Mustang GT350, GT500 and GT500 KR: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 3

Your Price:
$22.95
Currently out of stock

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.

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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 / softback
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 

1968 Shelby Mustang GT350, GT500 and GT500 KR: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 3

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