The first-generation Ford Mustang is a legendary classic on its own, but it spawned quite a few special versions that are highly desirable in 2022. The Shelby GT350 is one of them.
While not as powerful as the Shelby GT500, the Mustang Cobra Jet, or the Boss 429, the GT350 had something special to brag about: its lightweight, track-prepped construction. At least in the early years, before the Mustang got increasingly bigger and heavier in the late 1960s.
Introduced in 1965, the GT350 soldiered on until 1970 with various design and performance upgrades. But Ford and Shelby didn’t make too many of them, with fewer than 6,900 built over about five years (including prototypes and factory drag cars).
Naturally, first-year GT350s are more desirable than the rest. Not only is it a more stripped-down, competition-ready version, but the 1965 GT350 also saw daylight in only 525 units, not including the factory-prepped Competition model.
While not as rare, the 1968 variant is also a hard-to-find Shelby, with records showing that only 1,053 examples left the assembly line that year. The unrestored survivor you see here is one of those cars, but it’s a bit more special than the “regular” 1968 GT350.
That’s because it rocks a rather unusual Sunlit Gold paint job. Sure, it’s not exactly unheard of. I’ve seen a few GT350s and GT500s finished in this hue in the past, but you won’t cross paths with a gold 1968 Shelby too often. Because only 17% of these cars were ordered in this metallic gold paint. That’s exactly 178 cars, which makes the Sunlit Gold GT350 rarer than a 1968 Hertz model (223 examples).
And given that many 1968 GT500s were wrecked or abandoned back in the day, fewer than 100 gold cars might have survived to see 2022. I guess this unrestored unit is one of the lucky ones.
Yes, this pony has seen better days and it’s pretty much a project vehicle waiting to be restored, but it comes with many feats that collectors are looking for in a classic. For starters, it’s still wearing its original Sunlit Gold paint. Except for the passenger-side rear fender that has been replaced, of course.
Second, the 302-cubic-inch (4.9-liter) V8 engine is of the numbers-matching variety. It probably doesn’t run, but hey, classic Shelbys with all-original drivetrains are as valuable as they get. On top of that, the 302-powered GT350 is a one-year wonder, as Ford offered this mill only in 1968.
Before that, the GT350 came with a 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) Windsor under the hood, while 1969 saw Ford switch to the larger 351-cubic-inch (5.8-liter) V8.
What’s more, this GT350 is super clean as far as rust goes, with both the body and the floors needing next to no serious work beyond the visible welds on the passenger-side B-pillar.
Showcased by YouTube’s “American Mustangs,” this all-original survivor is looking for a new home. Hit the play button below for the walkaround and make sure you check out the video’s info section for contact information.