1969 Shelby Mustang GT500 Convertible

By 1969, assembly of the Shelby Mustang had shifted in Michigan from California where it was contracted out to A.O. Smith Corporation. This was to - effectively - be the final year for the Shelby Mustang. The 1969 Shelby Mustangs were visually different from the standard Mustangs, having a different grille and nose, a wide rectangular opening with blacked out grille flanked by 7-inch headlights. The Shelby driving lights were now smaller rectangular pieces below the largely ineffective bumper. The Shelby hood had five ducts and three NACA-style surface ducts which replaced the prior shaker hoods. Two extractors at the back of the hood relieved under-hood pressure and exhausting heated air in front of the windshield.

In the back, the rear panel was very different from the Mustang, with a set of 1965 Thunderbird sequential taillights with the rear license plate placed between them and including a small ducktail spoiler. The standard Mustang carried their license plate in the area under the bumper; instead, the Shelby's had two rectangular outlets for the dual exhaust system. The Shelbys rode on 5-spoke Mag Stars with alloy centers and chrome steel rims. Power was from the 428 Cobra Jet which had been used to power the 1968 Shelby GT500KR.

This Shelby Mustang was built at the Dearborn plant on April 14th of 1969. It was ordered new as a Shelby GT500 Convertible and given the 428 Cobra Jet and a C-6 Automatic transmission. It was finished in Candyapple Red paint with white knit vinyl hi-back bucket seats. Options included a traction-lok differential, air conditioning, competition suspension, and a tachometer with trip odometer. It had a MSRP of $5,597.70.

The car's early history was spent on the East Coast before making its way to California where it was acquired by Carroll Shelby. It was later restored by Barry Smiths G.T. Continuation cars, Inc., a licensed Shelby partner.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2018