1969 Ford Mustang

Following up on the inaugural big-block Shelby GT500 Fastbacks of 1967, the 428 Cobra Jet V-8 engine upped the ante for the high-end, Mustang-based Shelby supercars beginning in 1968. The Cobra Jet, popularly known simply as the CJ, was originally developed by Tasca Ford at the suggestion of Hot Rod magazine editor Eric Dahlquist. Highlights included a pair of 427 low-riser cylinder heads, a 735 CFM Holley 4-barrel carburetor and internal improvements courtesy of Fords massive parts inventory. Generating immense torque and a factory-underrated 335 HP, the 428 Cobra Jet developed a fearsome reputation on the street and strip and powered several Ford performance cars, including the increasingly upscale GT500, through 1969-1970. Shelbys GT500 always carried a unique identity, and for 1969 it featured a longer fiberglass front end, unique hoop grille, updated tail lights and revised exhaust outlets, plus an aggressive hood with no less than five functional NACA-style air scoops. Front and rear air scoops ducted cool air to the brakes, while inside, a roll bar, inertia-reel racing harnesses, luxurious amenities and special trim maintained the performance-oriented, limited-production character of the GT500. The 1969 Shelby GT500 is quite rare, with only 1,157 fastbacks produced, according to records published by SAAC, the Shelby American Automobile Club. Shipped new to Bob Murphy Ford in Morton, Illinois, this GT500 is listed in the Shelby Registry. It benefits from a rotisserie restoration, during which the body was stripped to bare metal and the Shelby was completed to correct specifications using NOS parts where possible. Power is delivered by a matching-numbers R-code 428 Cobra Jet V-8 engine equipped with Ram Air induction and paired to a C6 Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission that drives the 3.50 Traction-Lok rear end. Handsomely finished in Candyapple Red with a black clarion-knit vinyl interior, the GT500 also features a detailed undercarriage. Features, options and amenities are numerous, including power steering, power brakes with front discs, high-back bucket seats, a center console, the Visibility Group, a Sport Deck rear seat, Philco AM radio and Deluxe seatbelts with a warning light. Riding on striking Shelby 5-spoke wheels mounting Goodyear Polyglas GT tires, this late-production Shelby GT500 is accompanied by restoration photos, a Marti Report and an original build sheet signed by Carroll Shelby.