1968 Ford Mustang Shelby in magazine found after 56 years
- This 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 was featured in Super Stock Magazine
- For the next 56 years, it remained low-key
- Now, a YouTuber has found the car and done a deep dive into its history
Published on Sep 02, 2024 at 2:26 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Sep 10, 2024 at 7:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 was a media darling back in the 1960s before it disappeared for decades, only to be discovered recently.
YouTube channel Backyard Barn Finds got to take a look at this car with a long history.
Back in 1968, it was bought by a doctor from Virginia who gifted it to his wife.
Later that year, the car would be featured in Super Stock Magazine before falling into obscurity.
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Telling a 1967 Shelby apart from a 1968 model
The two models may look similar at a glance but they have one key differences and it’s in the headlights.
Whereas the 1967 model offered a choice between outboard and inboard lights, the 1968 model only had outboard lights.
In a more nuanced distinction, the 1967 had Marchal lights, which were illegal in several US states, leading to the 1968 Shelby receiving Lucas lights instead.
Production started in Venice, California before moving over to Ford’s plant in Metuchen, New Jersey.
Once finished, they would be sent over to the A.O. Smith Corporation in Ionia, Michigan.
It was here that they would be sharing an assembly line with C2 Corvettes.
Although these cars were made by rival companies, they would share some similarities in look – rear windows made from fiberglass, deck lids and quarter panel extensions, for example.
The car featured in Backyard Barn Finds’ video isn’t the only time a Shelby has caused some intrigue – this one sat gathering dust for weeks.
A closer look at the exterior
This Shelby had evidently not gotten much time on the road between its time in Super Stock Magazine and its appearance on Backyard Barn Finds.
With only 29,345 miles on the odometer, it’s clearly been sitting pretty in the meantime, racking up only 506 miles per year as estimated by autoevolution.
Having spent 56 years in relative obscurity, it’s now going up for sale.
The Shelby personified the 1960s, as demonstrated by the fact that late rocker Jim Morrison owned one – which also has gone missing, funnily enough.
If you want to own this cover star car, you’ll have to go through the Backyard Barn Finds to make it your own.
To take a look at this beauty, head on over to their YouTube channel.
