When it comes to investment-grade collector vehicles, there are few safer bets than a 1960s muscle car. And if you want to hedge your bet, a Shelby Mustang is a good way to go. The original Mustang is legendary, the Ford partnership with Shelby American even more so. But despite the potential value tied up in this 1968 Shelby Mustang GT350 convertible’s sheetmetal and woodgrain dash and door-panel appliqués, the selling owner wasn’t afraid of modifying it. Currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer, this car is one of just 404 GT350 convertibles built for the 1968 model year. It was restored in 2020, now shows 32,000 miles, and has the factory-correct 302-cubic-inch V8. But that engine is now topped with a Paxton supercharger installed after the seller bought the car. The seller also swapped the original three-speed automatic transmission for a five-speed manual. The supercharger is at least a period-correct modification, but no such excuse can be made for the modern Flowmaster exhaust system. All the removed original parts are included with the sale. The Mustang may have had the biggest launch of any new car in history, but Ford wanted to keep that momentum going. And under its Total Performance program, the automaker used racing as its primary marketing tool. So it asked Shelby to turn the Mustang into a race car, and the GT350 was born. The original 1965 model was intended for SCCA racing, but Ford and Shelby quickly realized that customers wanted a more refined road car with sporty styling more than a track toy. The 1968 Shelby GT350—essentially a carryover of the 1967 model—exemplifies this shift. The twin-scooped fiberglass hood, integrated rear spoiler, fender extensions, and quarter-panel air scoops give it plenty of visual muscle, but the 302 wasn’t anywhere near the hottest engine in Ford’s kitchen at the time. There was a big-block GT500 with a 428-cubic-inch V8 as well, but that engine was also on the tamer side. Unlike the Cobra and earlier Shelby Mustangs, the 1968 models were assembled at A.O. Smith in Ionia, Michigan, rather than at Shelby American’s facility at LAX. The upside is that this car is much easier to live with than its hardcore predecessors. It was available with power steering and power brakes (both specified here) as well as a full interior including that aforementioned wood trim. The modifications made by the seller should make it nicer to drive, and they appear to be completely reversible should a future owner want to return the car to its original condition and chase big auction bids. Recent BaT results show that a 1968 Shelby GT350 is comfortably a six-figure car, albeit not one that will break the $200,000 barrier. A more original convertible sold for $184,250 at a 2023 Mecum auction. Let’s see whether unoriginality hurts this one, or if bidders can see it for the improved driver’s car that it is.
