4 Shelby Mustangs That Changed the Game, Ranked

In 1966, you could walk up to a Hertz counter, rent a 306 horsepower Shelby Mustang for about 17 dollars a day, and drive away. Here are four Shelby Mustangs, ranked by what they proved, […]

In 1966, you could walk up to a Hertz counter, rent a 306 horsepower Shelby Mustang for about 17 dollars a day, and drive away. Here are four Shelby Mustangs, ranked by what they proved, counted down from four to one. One of them was a single car.

#4: 1965 Shelby GT350R

The 1965 Shelby GT350R was a race car with license plates optional. Shelby built only 34 of them. Each one started as a Mustang fastback with a 289 cubic inch Hi Po V8 tuned to 306 horsepower, then lost its rear seat and gained a fiberglass hood, a stripped interior, and plastic side windows to save weight.

#3: 1966 Shelby GT350H

In 1966, Hertz ordered about 1,000 Shelby GT350H Mustangs for its Sports Car Club rental fleet. Most were black with gold stripes, and the cars kept the 306 horsepower 289 Hi Po V8. Renters paid about 17 dollars a day plus 17 cents a mile, and Hertz marketed the program as Rent a Racer.

⚑ Featured Gear

Start Car Conversations →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

#2: 1967 Shelby GT500

For 1967, Shelby moved up to big block power with the GT500. Under the long fiberglass hood sat a 428 cubic inch Police Interceptor V8 with two four barrel carburetors on an aluminum intake manifold. Ford rated it at 355 horsepower, and it delivered a huge wave of torque.

#1: 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake

The 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake was a single car with a big idea. Carroll Shelby wanted to show off a new high speed Goodyear tire, so he took a GT500 and installed a 427 cubic inch side oiler V8, the same type of engine used in the Cobra race cars. Estimates of its output run around 520 horsepower.

That is our list of four Shelby Mustangs that changed the game. Which one would you take home? Tell me your favorite in the comments, and follow Muscle Car Fan for more muscle car stories.