1966 Mustang Shelby GT350H

Racing Towards Tinsel Town

   The 1966 Shelby GT350H was a variant of the venerable Shelby GT350 (sometimes referred to as a Cobra) based on the Ford Mustang Fastback. The modified car was designed and built up by Le Mans winning and automotive design genius Carroll Shelby and his company Shelby American. The 289 cubic inch engine with 306 horsepower and 329 pound feet of torque powered the car which was very competitive in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) road racing circuit. The 1,001 GT350H models were specially produced cars for the Hertz rental agency. Known as a “Rent a Racer” these cars could be rented by Hertz Sports Car Club members who were 25 years or older for $17 a day and 17 cents a mile, giving them a chance to drive a serious high-performance car. There are persistent rumors that they were often used by people for weekend road and drag racing. About three quarters of the cars were painted the very distinctive Raven Black with Gold side and over-the-top (Le Mans) stripes. The program was a huge success but was plagued with maintenance difficulties and was stopped after only one year.