Photo: Ford
Remember when Ford Performance came out with the all-new GT350 and the more extreme GT350R? It was the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, the venue where the Blue Oval had also unveiled the F-150 Raptor as well as the second generation of the GT supercar. Almost half a decade since then, FoMoCo has a bit of a treat for Mustang enthusiasts in the guise of the Heritage Edition.
Its purpose is to celebrate 55 years since the original GT350 fastback coupe rolled out onto the public road and racetrack, driven to victory at the Green Valley Raceway by the one and only Ken Miles. You know, that British guy who helped Carroll Shelby make the GT40 a legend at Le Mans.
“Looking back on it, what Ford and Carroll Shelby created back in the mid-’60s was so important to the Mustang,” declared Jim Owens, the pony car’s marketing manager. “With their authentic exterior livery, unique appointments and performance Ken could have only dreamed of, the Shelby GT350 and GT350R Heritage Edition Package are a meaningful tribute.”
So what does this option actually bring to the two ‘Stangs? First things first, the Wimbledon White paintwork contrasts rather nicely with Guardsman Blue on the sides as well as the full-length race stripes. These are carbon-copy nods to the race-spec GT350 from 1965. The front and rear badging are also painted Guardsman Blue, and the interior benefits from a unique dash badge.
The GT350R adds even more goodies in the form of black seats and red stitching for maximum visual drama. As for pricing, prepare to be baffled. The GT350R will set you back $60,440 plus taxes, title, and delivery while the Heritage package adds $1,965 to the sticker price. In the case of the GT350R, make that $73,435 plus $1,965 for a grand total of $75,400. In other words, you can get a GT500 without any sort of optional extras for that bundle of dollars.
On that note, it’s worth remembering that both models are this expensive because Ford Performance had updated them for the 2019 model year with great attention to detail. A different geometry for the front chassis, revised braking and MagneRide tuning, a high-trail steering knuckle for the GT350R, recalibrated steering rack and electronic power steering control, just about everything you can imagine in order to improve handling, braking, and high-speed stability.
“Looking back on it, what Ford and Carroll Shelby created back in the mid-’60s was so important to the Mustang,” declared Jim Owens, the pony car’s marketing manager. “With their authentic exterior livery, unique appointments and performance Ken could have only dreamed of, the Shelby GT350 and GT350R Heritage Edition Package are a meaningful tribute.”
So what does this option actually bring to the two ‘Stangs? First things first, the Wimbledon White paintwork contrasts rather nicely with Guardsman Blue on the sides as well as the full-length race stripes. These are carbon-copy nods to the race-spec GT350 from 1965. The front and rear badging are also painted Guardsman Blue, and the interior benefits from a unique dash badge.
The GT350R adds even more goodies in the form of black seats and red stitching for maximum visual drama. As for pricing, prepare to be baffled. The GT350R will set you back $60,440 plus taxes, title, and delivery while the Heritage package adds $1,965 to the sticker price. In the case of the GT350R, make that $73,435 plus $1,965 for a grand total of $75,400. In other words, you can get a GT500 without any sort of optional extras for that bundle of dollars.
On that note, it’s worth remembering that both models are this expensive because Ford Performance had updated them for the 2019 model year with great attention to detail. A different geometry for the front chassis, revised braking and MagneRide tuning, a high-trail steering knuckle for the GT350R, recalibrated steering rack and electronic power steering control, just about everything you can imagine in order to improve handling, braking, and high-speed stability.
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