This 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 offered on Bring A Trailer is one of the first 100 cars built during the model’s initial seven-month production run.
In the summer of 1964, Ford enlisted Carroll Shelby to create a variant of the Mustang that would meet the requirements for the SCCA’s B Production class, and this was the genesis of the GT350. The production of this model spanned over seven months and resulted in 504 examples being built. The first 100 units, often referred to as “double-digit” cars, were manufactured at Shelby’s Venice, California facility.
Each of these cars was finished in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes and featured fiberglass hoods, as well as Shelby badging. Other notable exterior features included a hood-mounted air scoop, open grille, distinctive fiberglass front apron, GT350 rocker panel striping, and enlarged fender flares to accommodate the car’s Goodyear Blue Dot tires, which were mounted on 15 x 7 inch wheels.
Chassis SFM5S090 was completed in Shelby’s Venice, California facility , and was delivered to Harr Motor Company in Worcester, Massachusetts on April 15, 1965. The car is finished in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes over black vinyl, and it is powered by a 289ci HiPo V8 engine that is mated to a Borg-Warner T10 four-speed manual transmission.
In addition to the powerful engine, the car comes equipped with a Detroit Locker rear end, a four-barrel Holley carburetor on a high-rise intake manifold, Kelsey-Hayes ventilated front disc brakes, Goodyear Blue Dot tires, a fiberglass hood, Koni shock absorbers, rear overrider traction bars, dual side-exit exhaust, Ray Brown 3″ safety belts, a trunk-mounted battery, a rear shelf-mounted spare tire, and a dash-mounted tachometer.
All 1965 GT350s came in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue rocker-panel stripes. However, some dealers added center stripes to specific cars. During a refurbishment in the late 1990s, this particular example was repainted, and Guardsman Blue Le Mans stripes were added. The refurbishment also involved replacing the glass, seals, and bumpers with new old stock components from Ford.
The car comes with optional Cragar cast alloy wheels that are shod with 7.75-15 Goodyear Blue Dot tires, and a matching spare is secured atop the fiberglass package shelf in the cargo area. The suspension system is equipped with Koni adjustable shock absorbers, lowered front control arms, a 1” front sway bar, overrider rear traction bars that are anchored inside the cabin, and rear limiting cables. Braking is handled by Kelsey-Hayes front discs with ventilated rotors and 2.5”-wide rear drums.
The low-back bucket seats are upholstered in black vinyl, and matching carpets were installed during the refurbishment process. The 3″ Ray Brown aircraft-style lap belts have been re-webbed, and the cabin also features radio block-off plates and Cobra-branded floor mats. Carroll Shelby’s signature is present on the glovebox door along with the car’s serial number.
The wood-rimmed steering wheel has been restored, and the car’s instrumentation comprises of a horizontal-sweep 120-mph speedometer flanked by gauges for fuel level and coolant temperature. An oil-pressure gauge and a tachometer mounted in a central pod are specific to Shelby-built Mustangs. The odometer shows 49k miles, and the total mileage is unknown. Early-production GT350s came with a trunk-mounted battery, and this particular example has been fitted with a vintage-style Autolite unit.
Under the hood, the 289ci Windsor V8 engine is shared with K-code Mustangs and features a four-barrel Holley 715-cfm carburetor and a cast-aluminum high-rise intake manifold that generates a factory-rated 306 horsepower in street versions of the GT350. Other GT350-specific features include a finned aluminum “T” oil pan with hinged baffles, open-letter valve covers, and tri-Y exhaust headers leading to exhaust pipes exiting ahead of each rear wheel.
Note: All photos are courtesy of Bring A Trailer
