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Today an ultra-rare collector’s car, this 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350 Hertz was part of the rental car company’s “Rent-A-Racer” promotion.
Hertz Goes Racing
One of the best parts of being a muscle car fanatic is digging into the esoteric world of rare, limited editions and short-lived variants. Cars that were originally too expensive for the average buyer (read 427 Hemis) or less desirable (apparently no one wanted a convertible Judge GTO?!) sold in low numbers and thus have become, sixty years later, especially rare and in many cases highly collectible. The COPO Camaros of Don Yenko, the SCCA-ready Challenger T/A, and the aforementioned drop-top Judge are all examples.
Ford Mustangs, of course, have their share of rarified models, like the one-off ’67 Shelby GT500 Super Snake or the ’69 Boss 429. Another legendary Mustang long the subject of knowing whispers and reverential nods was the 1966 Shelby GT350-H (Hertz), built for the express purpose of allowing enthusiasts a chance to rent a bona fide Shelby-tuned racing Mustang. The occasion for our look at the GT350-H is this: one of the mere thousand ever built is now listed on Carsforsale.com in stellar condition and equipped with the original 289 Windsor V8.
Making the Mustang a Shelby
The Ford Mustang, spearheaded by Ford’s Lee Iacocca, began in 1964 as a sporty and affordable coupe marketed to American youths. It had style and panache. What it lacked was power. The top-end 289 Windsor V8 made 270 horsepower and the Mustang’s chassis and running gear were far from sufficient for competitive racing. That was until Iacocca called up Carroll Shelby.
Shelby and his team modified and tuned the Mustang for SCCA with upgraded brakes (discs front, bigger drums back), revised suspension components, and a Detroit locker rear differential. In keeping with SCCA rules that allowed for broad changes to either the chassis or engine, Shelby opted to keep the 289 Windsor and merely add a four-barrel Holley carb, Tri-Y headers, and a “high-riser” intake to coax close to 310 horsepower and 329 lb.-ft. of torque from the motor. Swift, light, and adequately powered, the Shelby GT350 marked a turning point for the Mustang.
The Shelby GT350-H
While Shelby and company were busy making the Mustang into a legit racer, Shelby American GM Peyton Cramer pitched an idea to Hertz Car Rental: make a special edition Shelby GT350 available for rent to members of the Hertz Sports Car Club. Hertz not only liked the idea, but they also suggested a few unique features themselves which included Magnum 500 wheels with unique center caps sporting the Hertz Sports Car Club logo and Goodyear Blue Streak tires.
Other features specific to the Shelby GT350-H included its paint job. Of the 1,000 GT350-H cars built, 800 came in black with gold Bronze Powder Le Mans racing stripes (the original GT350 had its now iconic Wimbledon White with blue Le Mans racing stripes). Another 50 cars apiece were done in Wimbledon White (like the original GT350), Candy Apple Red, Sapphire Blue, and Ivy Green. Though less identifiable as GT350-Hs, those non-black and gold cars are especially rare collector’s cars today.
Of course, the Hertz version included the GT350’s unique upgrades like the functional fiberglass side scoops (for rear brake cooling), the Plexiglass rear quarter windows, and front disc brakes as well as the upgraded suspension.
The Shelby GT350-H launched in September 1965 with Hertz Sports Car Club Members able to rent the car for 17 dollars a day plus 17 cents per mile. Hertz pitched the Shelby GT350-H as the “Rent-A-Racer” and clients took the marketing seriously. Many of the Shelby GT350-H cars did more than just tool around town. Renters were indeed taking them to the track and even fielding them in competition (remember the GT350 was modified with SCCA racing in mind). Anecdotes accumulated of GT350-H cars returned with parts swapped in and out, including engines and even roll cages.
As you’d expect, the Shelby GT350-H rentals were driven harder than your typical rental car. Despite the wear and tear, Ford and Shelby retained the cars following the “Rent-A-Racer” program, refurbishing and reselling them into the private market. Those cars have, of course, become among the most sought-after of vintage Mustangs.
This Shelby Mustang GT350-H
This unique bit of Mustang history means an original GT350-H landing on Carforsale.com, a special occasion indeed. This example comes in spectacular condition inside and out and features a host of unique details. Note the Magnum 500 wheels with Hertz Sports Car Club center caps and “Hertz Rent-A-Racer” license plate cover. GT350-specific features abound as well, like the Cobra gas cap and steering wheel, functional side scoops, hood pins, dash-mounted tach, and fastback body style.
This car comes in the iconic black and gold paint scheme with a black interior and carries the original, numbers-matching 289 Windsor V8 and 2,950 miles on the odometer (assumed post-restoration). This historic 1966 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350-H is available for $178,555.
