Ford, Shelby and the Hertz Rent-A-Car company decided in 1966 to do something a bit special. Hertz wanted to be able to provide a performance car to customers and Ford and Shelby wanted to promote the Shelby Mustang.
This led to the creation of a Shelby Mustang made specially for Hertz, the 1966 Shelby GT350H. These rent-a-racers were quite popular and many stories have been told about these cars including customers renting them, using them for a race weekend and then returning them to the rental counter.
The mythology has made the 1966 GT350H a sought-after collector car that can cost as much as $150,000.
Fast-forward to 2006 and we have a similar situation. Hertz wanted another special car, and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the GT350H, they went to Ford and Shelby and asked if it might be possible to do it again. Ford and Shelby responded with the Shelby Ford Mustang GT-H.
These 2006 Shelby Mustangs were limited to 500 examples and were the first Mustang built in the Shelby factory since 1967. These cars came to Shelby just like the original Mustangs did in 1966, and the technicians at Shelby American in Las Vegas worked their magic and converted them into cars worthy of wearing the Shelby badge.
The Pick of the Day is a 2006 Shelby Mustang GT-H advertised on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in St. Louis, Missouri, and quite possibly the most well-documented example. It is car No. 77 of the 500 produced and has had only one owner since it was bought directly from Hertz after they phased them out.
According to the seller, this Shelby’s owner was able to secure the original factory invoice when sold to Hertz Corp, a copy of Ford Certificate of Origin issued to Hertz Vehicles LLC, a copy of the window sticker, the Shelby American invoice of added parts, both the Ford and the Hertz sign check-in inspection sheets, the “traction control off” pin which renders the traction control on at all times, both original keys with Hertz key tags still attached, the Shelby engraved & numbered key tags specific to this car, the 40th Anniversary badge and an extra Shelby plate that was not originally attached to the dash.
This car has Carroll Shelby’s personal signature on the passenger side interior A-pillar, and it includes more memorabilia about its history, including Hertz/Sirius satellite receiver with its brochure, the Hertz city/state maps of Arizona, and Shelby factory production images of the GT Hertz cars being built.
The owner cared for the car with Ford dealer servicing and has always parked it in a climate-controlled garage when it was not being shown, the seller says.
The Shelby has been driven just 30,707 miles, according to the seller, and the asking price of $39,900 is well in line for a car this well-documented.
If you missed out on the original 1966 Hertz Shelby cars the first time around, this could be your second chance. Future classics with this good a story tend to appreciate over time, and this is likely the time to buy.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day
