1968 SHELBY GT500KR

Details

Finished in Candy Apple Red, 'Staying Alive' was the name given to this Shelby fastback. The car actually named itself: After connecting the radio wiring at the end of the restoration process, the station was tuned in and the song playing was 'Staying Alive.' The Shelby has been garaged for over 42 years. This is a third-owner car purchased in February 1979. This 1968 Shelby GT500 KR fastback is powered by an original rebuilt 428ci Cobra Jet V8 engine. The rebuilt engine has 33,340 miles.

Officially, the 428ci Cobra Jet V8 was rated at 335 horsepower. However, this value is known to be underestimated, with most being in universal agreement that the engine's true output was well in excess of 400hp and a 440 ft/lbs of torque. The specifications also show 6.5 sec in 0-60 mph as well as a 14.8-second quarter-mile time. The KR at the end of the GT500 depicts King of the Road and portrays the model's superior status, with the production of 933 fastbacks in 1968. The King of the Road moniker was dropped prior to the 1969 model year, making this vehicle a rare one-of-a-kind treasure. The better-quality fiberglass parts allowed a complicated convergence of panels (hood, fender, fender extension and nose panel). The hood scoop is almost the entire width of the hood, and the car's styling incorporated more aerodynamic theory by pulling the dual hood air intakes all the way forward to the leading edge of the hood. Sequential blinking taillights and the spoiler decklid, along with the same S-H-E-L-B-Y lettering and Cobra Jet gas cap, give this car more of its visual unique features and classic design. It comes equipped with factory deluxe black interior seats, console wood trim, wood steering wheel, tempered glass windows, a center console that has the embossed Cobra logo, two-point roll bar and shoulder harnesses, all of which are identified with the vehicle's Marti Report. The exterior color of Candy Apple Red makes it one of 613 produced in 1968. The restoration was completed in 2021, and the Shelby was entered in only three shows and placed in all. Highly awarded, this Shelby has won First Place in Pioneer Street Rods, First Place in Copper Canyon Cruise and Third Place out of over 400 entries in Cruising on Main. Additionally, this KR took home a Third-Place award during its debut at a benefit for the Cancer Society in honor of its prior owner.