Original 1968 Shelby GT350 Barely Driven in 30 Years, Loaded With Extremely Rare Factory Options

April 14, 1964 — the Ford Mustang made its public debut. Although introduced in the spring of 1964, the car was marketed as a 1965 model year vehicle and officially went on sale just three days later.

Less than a year afterward, the high-performance version arrived. The legendary Shelby GT350 was officially unveiled on January 27, 1965, during a press launch at Riverside International Raceway in California. That same day, the car became available to the public, marking the beginning of the famous partnership between Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Company.

To satisfy Sports Car Club of America homologation rules for B-Production racing, Shelby American had to build at least 100 units by early 1965. The small performance outfit managed to reach that target just in time for the official reveal.

All 562 cars produced during the first model year came finished in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue rocker stripes. The original MSRP was about $4,547, nearly twice the price of a standard Mustang at the time.

By 1968, however, the Shelby lineup had changed a lot. The cars had grown more powerful, with big-block muscle arriving in the Shelby GT500. A convertible version also joined the lineup in 1968, and the mid-year debut of the Ford 428 Cobra Jet would later give rise to the legendary Shelby GT500KR.

From a sales standpoint, 1968 turned out to be the best year for Shelby Mustangs, with 4,451 units sold. The Shelby GT350 actually outsold its bigger brother that year, accounting for 1,657 cars — including 1,253 fastbacks and 404 convertibles.

The GT500 KR, however, tends to steal the spotlight. Introduced in April 1968, it quickly racked up 1,251 orders by the end of the model year. By comparison, the regular 428 Police Interceptor-powered GT500 reached 1,542 units, though it had an eight-month head start in production.

Part of the GT350’s appeal was its lower price. By that time, the model had become more of a refined cruiser than a raw street-racing machine. Ford had also retired the long-running 289 V8, along with the high-performance K-code variant that had defined the small-block lineup since 1963.

Its replacement was the Ford 302 Windsor V8, which would later serve as the foundation for the Ford Mustang Boss 302. In the 1968 Shelby GT350, the new engine — identified by a “J” in the VIN — produced 250 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. That was a noticeable drop from the 306 hp and 329 lb-ft delivered by the earlier K-code motor.

Buyers could also opt for a Paxton supercharger, which boosted output to roughly 340 horsepower and 355 lb-ft of torque. Because the upgrade could be installed by dealers rather than only at the factory, it’s difficult to determine exactly how many cars received it.

For naturally aspirated cars, however, the numbers are much clearer. Documentation from Kevin Marti shows that the example featured here is one of just 99 cars finished in Highland Green with a Saddle interior.

With its four-speed manual transmission, it’s already a 1-in-528 configuration. Add factory air conditioning, and the combination becomes even rarer. The records don’t specify how many cars received that exact mix of options, but the number likely falls somewhere in the double digits — if not lower.

The car’s condition is what really grabs attention. The odometer currently shows 39,964 miles, which is already low for a vehicle of this age. But here’s the surprising detail: on October 9, 1995, the odometer recorded 39,856 miles during an inspection.

That means the car has traveled just 108 miles in more than 30 years — an average of roughly 0.3 miles per month.

The exterior was repainted at some point — that deep shine and mirror finish aren’t original — but the interior appears to be untouched. Even the trunk area reflects how carefully the car has been preserved over the years.

The car is being offered by Matt Taylor, a longtime Mustang dealer who recently featured it on his channel. His asking price is $139,000.

For that money, a buyer gets a fully sorted classic that’s ready to drive. Considering this is a numbers-matching 1968 Shelby GT350 with extremely low mileage and rare options, the price might actually look reasonable to collectors.

For comparison, the most expensive fastback example sold publicly brought $231,000 at a Barrett‑Jackson auction three years ago. That car had 77,000 miles and no air conditioning. It did, however, once belong to Carroll Shelby in the late 1990s.

Still, a car that spent three decades mostly sitting in storage probably has an interesting backstory of its own — even if the full story hasn’t been told yet.