LOT 155
1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 KR Chassis no. 8T02R210352037366
Sold for US$168,000 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 155
Extensive history file
1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 KR
1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 KR
1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 KR
Chassis no. 8T02R210352037366
Chassis no. 8T02R210352037366
428ci OHV "Cobra Jet" V8 Engine
Single 4-bbl Carburetor
335bhp at 5,400rpm (factory-rated)
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Front Independent Unequal-Length Control Arms, Rear Live Axle, Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs
Front Disc, Rear Drum Brakes
*One of 933 fastbacks built in 1968
*Well documented and conforming to its Marti Report®
*Known history by the Shelby Registry
*Highly-optioned example
*As delivered in Acapulco Blue paint
*Desirable Four-Speed Manual Transmission
*Sports Deck rear seats, power steering, tilt-away wheel
*Dyno tested to 409bhp and 456lb-ft of torque
*Restored to high standards
THE 'KING OF THE ROAD' GT500
It was 1967, and Ford Motor Company had a problem – its cars were uncompetitive on the street scene. Sure, the 390 was a new and welcome addition to the redesigned Mustang, but it was no competition to Chevrolet's Camaro SS 396. For the brand that promoted Total Performance, it was an ironic place to be.
Meanwhile, over at Rhode Island's Tasca Ford, they were quite aware of Ford's lackluster performance on the street...and the sales floor. In a fortuitous sequence of events, a grenaded engine from a demonstrator 390 GTA Coupe led to the parts manager replacing it with a 428 Police Interceptor short block, then dug into the Ford parts bin to come up with a hodge-podge of 427 parts to create a stormer that vanquished the quarter-mile in 13.39 seconds at 105 mph. Tasca christened it "KR-8" for "King of the Road 1968" and offered the package to its customers for 1968.
Tasca showed Ford engineers what they had done; they were receptive, but their bosses were not. Eric Dahlquist of Hot Rod magazine caught wind of the KR-8 and went to Providence for a look-see. Then, in the November 1967 issue, Dahlquist's article presented a ballot for readers select BUILD THIS CAR and send to Henry Ford II. By April 1968, the first 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs had hit the street. Underrated at 335 horsepower, the CJ eventually ended up cleaning house at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, giving Ford's 'street cred' a massive boost.
Ford didn't leave out Shelby, replacing the GT500 with the GT500 KR (with inspiration from Tasca's KR-8), featuring revised styling a long list of luxury options. Since then, the GT500 KR has been one of the most desirable muscle cars in the hobby, and among the most collectible Shelby Mustangs.
THE CAR OFFERED
According to its Marti Report, this Shelby Mustang GT500 KR was ordered by Jerry Alderman Ford in May 1968 before being produced the next June. It left the Metuchen factory with the following options: Acapulco Blue paint; black knit vinyl luxury bucket seats; four-speed manual transmission; 3.50 traction-lock rear axle; shoulder harnesses; visibility group; sport deck rear seat; power steering; tilt-away steering wheel; AM radio and interior decor group.
The Shelby Register states that this car was delivered to Ed Martin Inc. in Indianapolis in July 1968 for a retail price of $4,929.58. On January 6, 1969, the GT500 was sold to Major Donald Gooding in Fort Knox, Kentucky for $4,600. In May 1969, the GT500 had 2,588 miles on the clock when it was entrusted to Osborne Motors Inc to have a relay replaced. The Mustang was then entrusted to Bob Frensley Ford for the replacement of a power steering hose on September 25, 1969. It had done 5,987 miles. It was acquired by Wayne Elijah Dalton of Austin, Texas. The next chapter of its story is told in a notebook attesting to all maintenance carried out, including oil changes, spark plug replacements and other changes of tires and shock absorbers undertaken between 18,014 and 69,128 miles. Dalton sold the car on in 1979 to Jan L Kubiceck, also of Austin. Its next owner was Dean Granger (Texas), then Mike Lawrence Garavaglia (Michigan), then Steve Rothman (Ohio) in 1999. In 2006, the latter handed the car over to True Performance for a range of restoration work, including on the coachwork. In 2012, the GT500 was put up for sale by the respected specialists at Legendary Motor Car in Ontario, Canada. Stuart Siegel of California purchased and, in 2016, treated the KR to a full mechanical restoration by Tri-C Engineering Inc. All the work is documented in photos and invoices. We also have a dyno-test demonstrating 409.8 hp at 5,200 rpm and 456.38 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm.
The current owner acquired the car in 2020, which was how the GT500 KR arrived in France, where work was completed on the trims and mechanical fettling by the Classic Restored Cars garage. Today, this Shelby Mustang GT500 KR is beautifully presented, and still has many of its original parts. We were also able to check that it is in good working order in a road test prior to preparation of this catalogue. Above all, it is an automobile with a known past, whose history file is particularly thick, with archives going back to its early years! It will be sold with its last US registration document, as well as a provisional French registration document.
Saleroom notices
The chassis number on this vehicle is 8T02R210352-03736
Additional information
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