staff@slashgear.com (Chris Littlechild)
2024-04-22 21:15:54
www.slashgear.com
The Shelby Mustang began production in January 1965, as the Shelby GT350. It was the brainchild of the acclaimed Carroll Shelby, who by this time triumphed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 and created his brand, Shelby American, in 1962. The company developed the formidable racing machine the Cobra, which would snatch victory at the World Manufacturers’ GT Championship months after the GT350 arrived. With the racing legend’s cachet behind it and GT in the name, the Shelby Mustang made a clear statement: this model was intended to be fast — very fast.
The regular Ford Mustang had certainly had few issues establishing itself when it arrived the previous year. A family four-seater offering up to 271 hp in its 289 performance guise for June 1964 (leaps and bounds above the original base Mustang’s 101 hp), it was a blend of practicality and power that would go on to strike a chord indeed.
With the might of mid-1960s TV commercials behind it, CBS News reports, 263,434 drivers would snap up the vehicle before the year was out. Nevertheless, as any company will tell you, there’s always more money to be made. To that end, according to the company, Shelby was approached by Ford Division General Manager Lee Iacocca to help develop a new type of Mustang: A true performance model.