Photo: Bring a Trailer
At the end of last week, American car rental company Hertz announced it is filing for bankruptcy, after being brought to its knees by the ongoing health crisis. As a result, we’re to expect a possible flood of Hertz used cars getting out in the open.
However, none of them will be as exciting as the 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350H in the gallery above. True, the car hasn’t been part of the Hertz fleet for decades, but the timing of its sale on Bring a Trailer couldn’t have come at a better time.
The Mustang GT350H was one of the craziest ideas Carroll Shelby ever had. Having become a household name of the American car industry in the Sixties, Shelby had no problems convincing Hertz to buy over 1,000 of his modified Mustangs and rent them to people. Hertz was thrilled by the idea, and even launched a dedicated program in 1966 called Rent-A-Racer.
As some of the rarest versions of the early Mustang, the line is obviously extremely coveted by collectors. This one here, unfortunately, is no longer as it was back when it left the factory doors.
Wrapped in Wimbledon White with gold stripes over a black interior, the machine is powered by a different heart: the original engine has been replaced with a 289ci (4.7-liter) V8, and the automatic transmission swapped for a Tremec five-speed manual.
Of course, it is not Hertz who made the modifications (the car was in the company’s possession for just about a year, and was sold in 1967), but one of the car’s subsequent owners.
With all the exposure Hertz is getting these days, the highest sum offered for this particular car is, for now, $85,000. One other reason this Mustang is proving to be a massive online hit could be the fact that the passenger-side sun visor wears the signature of Carroll Shelby himself, put there sometime in the early 1990s.
The Mustang GT350H was one of the craziest ideas Carroll Shelby ever had. Having become a household name of the American car industry in the Sixties, Shelby had no problems convincing Hertz to buy over 1,000 of his modified Mustangs and rent them to people. Hertz was thrilled by the idea, and even launched a dedicated program in 1966 called Rent-A-Racer.
As some of the rarest versions of the early Mustang, the line is obviously extremely coveted by collectors. This one here, unfortunately, is no longer as it was back when it left the factory doors.
Wrapped in Wimbledon White with gold stripes over a black interior, the machine is powered by a different heart: the original engine has been replaced with a 289ci (4.7-liter) V8, and the automatic transmission swapped for a Tremec five-speed manual.
Of course, it is not Hertz who made the modifications (the car was in the company’s possession for just about a year, and was sold in 1967), but one of the car’s subsequent owners.
With all the exposure Hertz is getting these days, the highest sum offered for this particular car is, for now, $85,000. One other reason this Mustang is proving to be a massive online hit could be the fact that the passenger-side sun visor wears the signature of Carroll Shelby himself, put there sometime in the early 1990s.
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