1965 SHELBY GT350R

Details

Powered by a Pete Hood 289ci 8-cylinder engine and 4-speed manual transmission, this Shelby, 5R 538, is one of 33 factory competition models built in 1965 and is documented as the winningest Shelby race car ever. It was purchased new by Roger West and raced until 1967 with great success, including an SCCA Southwest Division Championship. He also raced at Sebring and Daytona, where he shared seat time with Bobby Allison. In late 1967 he sold the car to Charlie Kemp, who was impressed with the

car's performance - as was someone very special: Pete Hood, the R’s mechanic. They went to work on the suspension, weight and horsepower, and by March had won the SCCA Regional at Daytona with the famous pass in the grass of Robert Gray in his Corvette. This was soon followed with a victory in the Nationals and followed with the 1968, 1969 and 1970 Division Championships. At Riverside, Charlie set a top speed record for GT350Rs, then at Daytona set the highest known speed for a 289-powered Shelby Mustang or Cobra, 184 mph. Through 1971 Charlie would enter 54 races, finish 42 and win 32, including a streak of 17 in a row. Charlie sold the car and moved on to Can-Am, but in early 2000 he and Pete bought it back and returned it to its full, as-raced condition. The suspension was freshened up and it has recently had the engine completely rebuilt by Hood. Due to Charlie’s driving skills 538 retains most of the original sheet metal, including the inner fenders, with numbers verified by SAAC. This Shelby is well-documented, including copies of the MSO and factory order, notes of further upgrades by Lew Spencer, factory invoice to Treadwell Ford and Kemp’s Bill of Sale. Priceless photographs, video race footage and event artifacts have been collected in an aluminum-covered book that go with the car. The opportunity to own a GT350R is rare, but there is only one that has had the most wins of all time, and this is it.