The need for speed birthed the GT 350
Contrary to those who think the Ford Mustang was all about performance, the car was not initially intended to be anything more than a set of wheels for a hip new generation. Performance wasn’t really part of the equation until Ford decided it was going into racing.
Soon after the Mustang’s April 1964 launch, Ford vice-president Lee Iacocca approached ex-racer and sports-car builder Carroll Shelby to put together a racing program. Iacocca thought that track-proven performance was just the ticket to enhance the Mustang’s reputation.
Shelby’s California shop began the process of converting the relatively meek Mustang into a race-ready stallion. It made a number of changes, including to its exhaust system and suspension, and modifying its 289-cubic-inch engine to produce 306 horsepower.
Visually, Shelby’s GT 350 was easy to spot: It had twin 10-inch-wide racing stripes running the entire length of the all-new fastback body. There were also stripes along the rocker panels with “GT 350” spelled out in block type. Inside, aircraft-style three-inch wide racing safety belts were fitted, and the rear seat was discarded, replaced by a fibreglass shelf where a spare tire was perched.
Two different versions of the GT 350 were originally made: an “S” version for the general public; and about two dozen strictly-for-racing “R” models (out of a total-first-year production of 562 cars).
In its first year, the new Mustang won nearly every race it entered in convincing fashion. The street-going GT 350 cars were no slouches either and could run the quarter mile — the yardstick of acceleration — in 15 seconds at 95 mph (150 km/h).
On the negative side, the GT 350 demanded the driver’s full attention. The manual steering required considerable brute force and the heavy-duty brakes demanded an equal amount of leg strength to get the car stopped. If that wasn’t enough, there was the engine racket booming into the stripped interior and the pronounced presence of exhaust fumes.
So began the GT 350’s slow metamorphosis to street-friendly from race-ready. In 1966, several modifications were made, including rerouting the exhaust system to exit the rear. Another option was that rear seats that could be installed in place of the spare-tire shelf. Not surprisingly, nearly 2,400 GT 350s were sold.
By 1967, the street evolution was nearly complete, with most of the GT350s destined for civilian use. Many came with a more street-happy engine and were loaded with air conditioning and other cruiser-class pleasantries. To keep adrenaline junkies satisfied, a high-performance model, called the GT 500, was added to the lineup.
The last full year of Shelby GT 350 production was 1969 (some were sold as 1970 cars). With a new body design came a new appearance package, complete with wrap-around chrome front bumper, taillights and unique centre-exit dual exhaust.
The line ended there (Ford revived the name in 2005), but the world remains thankful for the day Ford decided to take its pony to the races.
Keyword: A deeper dive: the Shelby Mustang story