One-of-None '68 Shelby Mustang GT350 Shows Off Huge Surprises, but Do You Like Its Sound?
‘Driving the car, you feel it in your hands, and then the feet, and then the seat – that’s what I love most with old cars.’ 1968 was a turning point for the Shelby Mustang, with the emblematic performance car undergoing severe changes in both looks and brawn. It was the best year for sales, but it was also the farewell that Carroll Shelby bid to Ford, with FoMoCo taking over all operations regarding the assembly of the Shelby Mustangs.
With the horsepower wars in full swing, Ford – now riding on its back-to-back triumphs at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966 and 1967 – was pushing performance to new heights. However, the International Automobile Federation made several changes to the sport, and one of those was to cap the displacement of racing engines to five liters.
Ford countered with the introduction of the 302-cubic-inch small-block, the 4.9-liter V8 that gained legendhood in the form of the Boss 302 from 1969 and 1970. The engine debuted in 1968, and it was only natural for Shelby Mustangs to feature it, ditching the famous K-code 289 V8 from under the GT350 hood. Instead, the 1968 lineup showcased the new 302 V8, significantly dropping performance numbers.
The 289 used by Shelby until 1967 developed 306 hp and 329 lb-ft (310 PS, 446 Nm), while the following year saw the small-block-powered cars with a Cobra emblem flexing 250 hp and 310 lb-ft (253 PS, 420 Nm). Shelby Automotive offered a Paxton supercharger as an option in the GT350.
With 335 hp and 325 lb-ft on tap (340 PS, 441 Nm), it is right on par with the new-for-1968 428 Cobra Jet in the GT500 King of the Road in terms of advertised horsepower. The prospective big-block muscle was far more appealing than a force-fed small engine, so the supercharged Shelby Mustang is not a common sight at all. The $465 price for the hardware was probably the deterrent that fended off buyers from going for a blown Shelby Mustang.
Out of the 1,657 GT350 made for the 1968 model year, 404 were convertibles – which was a new addition to the lineup on both the GT350 and GT500 Shelby Mustangs. The remaining 1,253 examples were all fastbacks, just like the one that enthralls Terry Skweres, the author of the quote in the opening of this story and owner of a GT350.
He’s had the car for twenty-two years and enjoyed every minute of it, although the odometer would not easily hint at that. With only 48,146 miles (77,483 km) on the clock, this Calypso Coral example is not a survivor. The livery was refreshed after the current owner acquired it. It is also one of the 528 examples equipped with a four-speed manual transmission linked to a 2.75:1 rear differential.
The owner didn’t perform renovation work to the car other than the chromatic rejuvenation from Lime Gold to this orange hue, and he takes great pride in the Carroll Shelby signature on the dashboard. The odd color makes this 1968 one-of-a-kind since Calypso Coral was not offered on Ford Mustangs that year but in 1969.
Also, as viewers of the video attached to this story pointed out, this particular GT350 sounds like it could use a valve adjusting job (yes, they’re hydraulic, but something’s clacking). This one-of-none 1968 Shelby Mustang GT350 is the latest star on Lou Costabile’s YouTube channel. If you’re a classic Americana fan, subscribe to the channel – he’s got some pretty neat cars he showcased over the years, with others chambered for the next months.
With the horsepower wars in full swing, Ford – now riding on its back-to-back triumphs at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966 and 1967 – was pushing performance to new heights. However, the International Automobile Federation made several changes to the sport, and one of those was to cap the displacement of racing engines to five liters.
Ford countered with the introduction of the 302-cubic-inch small-block, the 4.9-liter V8 that gained legendhood in the form of the Boss 302 from 1969 and 1970. The engine debuted in 1968, and it was only natural for Shelby Mustangs to feature it, ditching the famous K-code 289 V8 from under the GT350 hood. Instead, the 1968 lineup showcased the new 302 V8, significantly dropping performance numbers.
The 289 used by Shelby until 1967 developed 306 hp and 329 lb-ft (310 PS, 446 Nm), while the following year saw the small-block-powered cars with a Cobra emblem flexing 250 hp and 310 lb-ft (253 PS, 420 Nm). Shelby Automotive offered a Paxton supercharger as an option in the GT350.
With 335 hp and 325 lb-ft on tap (340 PS, 441 Nm), it is right on par with the new-for-1968 428 Cobra Jet in the GT500 King of the Road in terms of advertised horsepower. The prospective big-block muscle was far more appealing than a force-fed small engine, so the supercharged Shelby Mustang is not a common sight at all. The $465 price for the hardware was probably the deterrent that fended off buyers from going for a blown Shelby Mustang.
Out of the 1,657 GT350 made for the 1968 model year, 404 were convertibles – which was a new addition to the lineup on both the GT350 and GT500 Shelby Mustangs. The remaining 1,253 examples were all fastbacks, just like the one that enthralls Terry Skweres, the author of the quote in the opening of this story and owner of a GT350.
He’s had the car for twenty-two years and enjoyed every minute of it, although the odometer would not easily hint at that. With only 48,146 miles (77,483 km) on the clock, this Calypso Coral example is not a survivor. The livery was refreshed after the current owner acquired it. It is also one of the 528 examples equipped with a four-speed manual transmission linked to a 2.75:1 rear differential.
The owner didn’t perform renovation work to the car other than the chromatic rejuvenation from Lime Gold to this orange hue, and he takes great pride in the Carroll Shelby signature on the dashboard. The odd color makes this 1968 one-of-a-kind since Calypso Coral was not offered on Ford Mustangs that year but in 1969.
Also, as viewers of the video attached to this story pointed out, this particular GT350 sounds like it could use a valve adjusting job (yes, they’re hydraulic, but something’s clacking). This one-of-none 1968 Shelby Mustang GT350 is the latest star on Lou Costabile’s YouTube channel. If you’re a classic Americana fan, subscribe to the channel – he’s got some pretty neat cars he showcased over the years, with others chambered for the next months.