1969 Shelby Mustang GT 350

Major changes were made to the Mustang in 1969, on which the Shelby Mustang was based. This would be the final iteration of the Shelby Mustang and the end of the line as Carroll Shelby's role in the car he created was coming to a close. Shelby Automotive had designers on loan from Ford, who were given greater latitude with its appearance. The new 1969 Shelby Mustang was given a radical restyling from the previous year's 'raw edge' race car for the street model. It became more distinguishable from the Mustang, with reshaped fiberglass front fenders and an extended hood, unique front bumper, and a sleeker appearance. Air ducts in the hood and scoops in the fenders and rear quarter panels helped achieved a more high-performance look. The muscular and aggressive appearance continued to the rear fiberglass decklid which had a larger rear spoiler and a special aluminum exhaust collector located under the center of the rear bumper. The interior received updates as well, with Ford's new redesigned Deluxe Mustang interior and mostly offered in white or black. There was a unique Shelby console with the oil pressure and ammeter gauges, and just like prior years, the Shelby came with a roll bar but were now more for appearance than function.

Both the Shelby GT350 and GT500 models were offered, and both were available as fastbacks (now called Sportsroof) and convertibles. The GT500 continued to be powered by the 428 Cobra Jet as in the previous years, however the GT350 was given Ford's new 351 Windsor V-8 named after the founder where it was produced. The engine was a big upgrade over the prior 302 cubic-inch small block. The new Windosr engine was fitted with an Autolite 470 CFM four-barrel carburetor mounted on an aluminum intake manifold with Cobra finned aluminum valve covers. Buyers had the option of selecting an automatic transmission which now used the Ford FMX Cruise-O-Matic versus the Ford C4 used in the 1968 model.

Although no 1970 Shelby GT3530 and 500 models were built, the unsold 1969 models were given 1970 vehicle identification numbers. Two cosmetic changes for the 1970 sold cars were a front chin spoiler and two black hood stripes. The rest of the changes were focused on complying with emissions regulations. A total of 789 examples were re-VIN'd.

A total of 194 Shelby Mustang Convertibles were sold in 1969.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2020