A 1965 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 crossed the auction block last week, the hammer coming down at a world record $990,000. Not bad for a car that cost around $4,500 when new. But the GT350 has always been something special, and while Ford’s new Dark Horse Mustang has basically the same role as the Ford Performance GT350 sold new out of showrooms between 2015-2020, there’s something just a bit more special about seeing the Shelby name on a Mustang. And now you can see it again.
This time, its Shelby American that’s building the GT350 (and an even more hardcore version called the GT350R), but you’ll still be able to get one at your Ford dealership. Yep, it’s got those stripes, but this is a comprehensively reworked Mustang, from engine through to suspension and aerodynamics.
The headline is of course the V8, which has been supercharged to a sky-high 810 hp. If raw power isn’t your thing, you can get the rest of the upgrades at 480 hp without the boost, or you can turn the dial even higher with the R variant, which gets even more carbon fibre and 830 hp.
The price for this new Shelbyfied ‘Stang starts at $109,999 for the supercharged GT350, which is a lot. However, with Ford’s own Mustang GTD expected to list out at $325,000, maybe a hundred grand isn’t so bad for a Mustang of impeccable pedigree. Shelby plans to build 562 GT350s through this year, an exact match for the original production run. Also in the works are Trans Am and Spec racers, so there’s still more to come.
With the Challenger and Camaro on hiatus, the Mustang is the last of the old-school V8 battlers standing. Unfortunately, having the field to itself hasn’t translated to sales, and 2024 was the worst Mustang sales year since its introduction.
Having a GT350 back in showrooms might drum up a little excitement for the breed. Although it is worth pointing out that adjusted for inflation, that original GT350 once cost about the same as an EcoBoost Mustang with a few options will run you now.
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