This 1966 Shelby GT350H Is the Coolest Rent-a-Racer in Existence, Sounds Menacing

The GT500 was a 355-horsepower road cruiser that you could also take to the drag strip from time to time, but the GT350 was a full-blown, lightweight race car. Yes, it was also street legal, but Shelby's first take on a Mustang was only a few mods away from becoming an SCCA-spec, B-production racer.

Shelby built only 562 examples in 1965, but 1966 saw Carroll's shop roll out a whopping 2,386 units. Around 1,000 of them were put together for the Hertz Corporation and these GT350H models have an interesting story.

Ford's deal with Hertz was that the GT350 delivered to the rental company would eventually return to the factory to be refurbished and sold to the public as GT350H models. Advertised as "Rent-a-Racer" cars, Hertz wanted these fastbacks driven as regular cars, but gearheads often rented the Shelbys to put them through their paces at the track.

These cars were often spotted being raced as production class vehicles at SSCA events, but some people also rented them to show off at the drag strip. As a result, the cars were often returned with roll bars and racing numbers. And legend has it that some people attempted to swap their regular Mustang engine to the Shelby-tuned unit in the GT350H.

Hertz eventually returned the (remaining) cars to Ford, which sold them as the GT350H. But some owners reported some high-performance parts were missing, presumably "lost" at the factory or the dealership. Come 2021 and the GT350H is one of the rarest and most expensive first-generation Mustangs out there.

Cars in Fair condition cost as much as $100,000, while Concours-ready examples usually go for more than $200,000. YouTube's "Hoovies Garage" recently joined the GT350H owners' club with what seems to be one of the coolest Hertz "Rent-a-Racer" in existence.

But that's not just because it's a nicely restored example. This Hertz saw a lot of racing action back in the day, spending quite a few good years at the drag strip and on hillclimbing courses. It also sat in storage with a blown engine for a few decades, but now it's ready to take Hoovies racing at vintage race car events.

Sporting a gorgeous black and gold exterior that still looks pristine after years of racing, the GT350H is ready to hit the track at any given time thanks to a full-blown motorsport interior fitted with a roll bar and a pop-in steering wheel.

And the 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) V8 still roars like a proper race-spec engine through side-exiting exhaust pipes. Check it out in the videos below and make sure you crank up the volume when the V8 fires up.