The story
Carroll Shelby's GT350 was built to qualify the Mustang for the SCCA's B Production class in 1965.12
For 1966 Hertz agreed to buy about 1,000 GT350s for its rental fleet, the GT350H cars.23
The GT500, with a 428 big-block, joined for 1967. In April 1968 it got the 428 Cobra Jet and became the GT500KR, for King of the Road.24
Production moved from Los Angeles to Michigan late in 1967, and it ended with the 1969 cars. Unsold ones were given new serial numbers and sold as 1970 models.256
Where the sources disagree
Every conflict behind the figures on this page. All rulings.
Settled
1965 Shelby GT350 production
Our ruling: 562 in all, which MustangSpecs and Wikipedia print and CJ Pony Parts' two rows add up to. How the 562 split between street cars and R-models is not settled: 37 R-models in CJ Pony Parts, 34 in MustangSpecs' breakdown and 36 on its GT350R page. We give only the total.
What each source says (4)
- Total 562: 1 street prototype, 504 street cars, 2 competition prototypes, 34 R-models, 4 drag cars, 17 other prototypes1one source
- «Total 1965 model year production was 562 units»2one source
- Shelby GT350 525, Shelby GT350R 3711one source
- GT350R: «Production Numbers 36»16one source
Settled
1966 Shelby GT350 production
Our ruling: We use 2,378, which MustangSpecs and Wikipedia give; CJ Pony Parts' rows add up to 2,380. The number of Hertz cars is not settled (936, 1,000, 1,002 or 1,003), so we give only the total.
What each source says (4)
- GT350 1,365, GT350 Hertz 1,000, prototypes 13, total 2,3788one source
- «Total production for 1966 was 2,378 units, including two prototypes and four drag cars»; Hertz bought 1,003 fastbacks including two prototypes2one source
- GT350 1,438, GT350-H 936, GT350 convertible 6 (together 2,380)11one source
- GT350-H: «Production Numbers 1002»3one source
Open
1967 Shelby GT350 production
Our ruling: Unresolved: 1,174 or 1,175, one source each.
What each source says (2)
Settled
1967 Shelby GT500 production
Our ruling: We use 2,050, which CJ Pony Parts and MustangSpecs give. Wikipedia's 2,048 carries no citation.
What each source says (3)
Settled
1968 Shelby GT500KR production
Our ruling: We use 933 fastbacks and 318 convertibles, 1,251 in all, which CJ Pony Parts and MustangSpecs both give. Wikipedia's 1,571 appears only in passing, in its section on the 2008 car.
What each source says (2)
- GT500KR fastback 933, convertible 318411
- A 2008 run of 1,571 cars «matches that of the original 1968 GT500KR»2one source
Open
Power of the 1968 Shelby GT500 before the Cobra Jet
Our ruling: Unresolved: 335, 355 or 360 hp. MustangSpecs gives 335 in its text and 355 in a spec table that looks copied from its 1967 page; Wikipedia gives 360. No second source settles it.
What each source says (3)
Open
Shelby Mustangs sold as 1970 models
Our ruling: Unresolved. Wikipedia says the 1970 cars were 1969 cars with new serial numbers, 789 of them. CJ Pony Parts lists 601 (315 + 286) under 1970 production. We do not state a 1970 Shelby count.
What each source says (2)
- 1970: GT350 fastback 315, GT500 fastback 28611one source
- «All 1969–1970 Shelby Mustangs were produced in 1969. Because of dwindling sales, the 789 remaining 1969 cars were given new serial numbers and titled as 1970 models.»15one source
