1966 Shelby GT350 Fastback

As final production was nearing completion on the 1965 Shelby GT350s, Shelby American began work on the new 1966 model. Ford wanted the ‘66 model to be more road compliant, so gone were racing features like side-exit exhaust, override traction bars and the Detroit Locker that had made the GT350 a race-winning success. Instead, Shelby’s focus was to produce a car that was easier to sell to the normal enthusiast rather than the amateur racer.

Before the retooling was completed for the 1966 model, Shelby had ordered 250 cars from Ford at the end of the 1965 production run from the San Jose plant. Without these cars in the pipeline, Shelby American would have had to shut down its assembly line for about a month and a half, so these cars were meant to “carryover” Shelby American until the new 1966 Mustangs arrived in October. These have since been dubbed “carryover” cars, as they are 1965 chassis built into 1966 model year cars by Shelby and, as a result, have a unique blend of 1965 and 1966 features. Today these carryover cars are the most desirable 1966 production GT350s and have a devout following.

This 1966 Shelby GT350 is one of only 252 “carryover” models produced. The car was shipped new to University Ford Sales in Champaign, Illinois, according to a copy of its original Shelby American invoice dated December 15, 1965. As per Shelby records, this GT350 came equipped from the factory with the optional Cragar alloy wheels.

Recently, this example was subjected to a concours-level restoration completed by Fix Motorsports to SAAC Concours specifications. The Wimbledon White paint with Lemans stripes is show quality with impressive panel fit. The matching-numbers 289/306 HP HiPo V-8, as well as the whole drivetrain, was rebuilt. Great attention to detail was paid, not only on top but the underside as well, to bring the car to this absolutely stunning state.

This 1966 Shelby GT350 Carryover is an example of what a comprehensive nut-and-bolt, no-expense-spared, rotisserie restoration can look like. Due to its restoration quality, it has gone on to win numerous awards including winning the GT class at The Greenbrier Concours d'Elegance 2022, winning the Limited Production Ford class at the Hagerty Detroit Concours d'Elegance 2022 and AACA Gettysburg National 2023 Junior and AACA Hershey National 2023 Senior awards, and it was nominated for the year-end AACA National Award.

Important with any collector car of this caliber, this example comes heavily documented with SAAC serial number verification, a Shelby invoice, a Shelby registry report, warranty invoices and more. Additionally its ownership history is listed in the Shelby American World Registry. For those looking for a first-class, best-of-the-best example of a 1966 Shelby GT350 Carryover, this is the one to have.