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Is This the Best-Looking GT350 of All Time – A 1967 Survivor Shelby Mustang

Shelby Cobra-badged Mustangs are nothing short of treasures to gearheads. That would explain why the cars aren't popping up at auctions like popcorn at a drive-in cinema. But it's a blockbuster when one does, especially if the vehicle is original, unrestored, and in splendid condition.
Unrestored 1967 Shelby Mustang GT350 Fastback 4-Speed 37 photos
Photo: bringatrailer.com
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Carroll did a fine job in 1967 with the fastback 350 GT – some devoted fans would argue this model year is the best-looking Shelby Mustang. And, if we judge by the looks of one particular example (Shelby American serial number #03002), we couldn't think of strong enough reasons to disagree.

Like most Shelby-branded wild ponies from Dearborn, this stellar-looking automobile strongly connects to its past. Having spent its first forty years with the same owner, it received several upgrades and heaps of TLC.

The original buyer never drove it in adverse elements, and the other three who owned it continued the tradition. In 2007, the car took a short trip over the Atlantic to the UK (of all automotive places on Planet Piston), but returned to the motherland in 2016.

Unrestored 1967 Shelby Mustang GT350 Fastback 4\-Speed
Photo: bringatrailer.com
All the car's literature is still available, and collectors (and investors alike) are very selective regarding this element. Apart from the purchase documentation, the original owner's manuals and windows stickers accompany the car wherever it will go next.

But, paperwork aside, the car itself is a monument of pure joy. The seller (and current owner) emphasizes the originality of his possession. "The body, paint, interior, engine compartment, and chassis are all extraordinary. When new James Vigani (author's note – the first owner) had the dealer install a factory Traction-Loc differential, and in 1968, the Koni shocks that are still on the car today."

A few chips and scratches show the car saw more than just the interior of a barn in its 56 years, and the mileage (a blink over 70k miles / some 112,700 km) tells it like it is. This Shelby – one of 1,175 made for '67 – had its fair share of wheel spinning.

Unrestored 1967 Shelby Mustang GT350 Fastback 4\-Speed
Photo: bringatrailer.com
The popular choice for the Shelby snake-branded Ford Mustangs was the manual gearbox – this is valid for both the 350 GT and the newly-introduced main-star 500 GT. The hero of this story is one of those 821 four-speed manuals.

The choice was understandable, given the powertrain equipment available: a 289 CID (4.7 liters) V8 with a four-barrel carburetor on top and 306 hp directly under that. The competition handling package, an integral roll bar, and an extra cooling package accompanied the High-Performance plant.

Whether the "High-Performance" Shelby-claimed attribute was ever put to the test in this car is a mystery, but it makes no difference to us. And the Shelby American Automobile Club jury didn't seem to care either. In 2017, the automobile won the Gold Survivor award – having scored highest in its class.

Unrestored 1967 Shelby Mustang GT350 Fastback 4\-Speed
Photo: bringatrailer.com
That concours was the model's jubilee anniversary. The car was assessed by restored-car standards - complete with a full system check, test run and drive, and performance evaluation. For an all-original car with plenty of road experience, it's a well-deserved homage.

The Mustang could pass as a time capsule any day of the week, thanks to its factory-applied coat (check the gallery for details), original interior, engine, transmission, drivetrain, carburetor, radiator, distributor, and air cleaner. Even the windshield washer bottle has endured until 2023. The only part replaced is the exhaust (don't count the usual consumables, like tires, filters, hoses, or the battery).

The seller has this to say about their precious Shelby: "Runs and drives like a new car. The car is an amazing specimen. It has been owned, inspected, and judged by the best to be among the best. No stories. No skeletons. Irrefutable history, original paperwork, and awards. Even in the rarefied air of the 821 4-speed 1967 GT-350s this one stands out on many levels."

Unrestored 1967 Shelby Mustang GT350 Fastback 4\-Speed
Photo: bringatrailer.com
The arrival of the GT500 variant dimmed the spotlights on the "primordial" Shelby Mustang – the GT350. The smaller engine was nothing to frown at, at 306 hp (310 ps) and 329 lb-ft (446 Nm). Nonetheless, it paled when put next to the 427-CID (seven-liter) transplanted from the Shelby Cobra 427.

The Dark Moss Green paint was one of the most popular options for the 1967 Shelby Mustang. Although it lacks air conditioning – the price for such a luxury installment was a stutter-triggering $292 in '67 – the mighty Cobra Mustang has power steering, power front disc brakes, 15" Magstar wheels, shoulder harnesses, Stewart Warner auxiliary gauges, and a push-button AM radio.

With eleven days left of the auction at the time of this story and the price hitting $176k in the first few hours after the bid opening, this car promises to live up to its family name. After all, It was the model that took the Mustang into a thoroughbred.
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About the author: Razvan Calin
Razvan Calin profile photo

After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads.
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