Shelby Mustang GT350R Prototype Up for Auction
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Seldom do two brands get more iconic when being brought together than ‘Shelby’ and ‘Mustang.’ When father of the Cobra and American racing hero Carroll Shelby got hold of the Ford Mustang, he and his team at Shelby American turned it from a sales sensation into tyre scorching street and track legend.
Now the Shelby Mustang which kick started all the winning in SCCA races, is up for grabs at Mecum Auction’s sales in Indianapolis in mid-May, the 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350R Prototype. As the later part of the name suggests, this GT350R was genesis for Shelby’s Mustang Racing programme. Model SFM5R002 was the first Mustang to be tweaked by Shelby, Pete Brock and Phil Remington with the intention of racing in the Sports Car Club of American series.
The Prototype also turned a wheel in anger in the hands of Bob Bondurant and the legendary Ken “Sidebite” Miles. Miles in fact was racing this GT350R at Dallas, and a photographer managed to snap a shot of the car flying over a crest with all four wheels in the air, which earned it the nickname “The Flying Mustang’ in newspapers and magazines.
The Prototye continued to kick arse in SCCA until 1966. The car was sold to Ford Engineer Bill Clawson who continued to race it until 1970. After this it was sold again, ending up in Mexico where it sat for 17 years in hiding.
Fortunately, after a few more owners, it was fully restored to original condition, including that epic white with blue stripes paint scheme. This allowed SFM5R002 to win a number of Concours events including Pebble Beach in 2015.
While there is no word yet on how much this icon is expected to fetch, be rest assured Mustang addicts will need to set aside some serious dough before putting this race winning pony in their stable.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0520-414695/1965-shelby-gt350r-prototype/