Published in Monterey Car Week (Shelby GT350 Hertz)
Lot 207
1966 Mustang Shelby GT350 Hertz Race Car
$100,000 – $150,000
- Chassis no. SFM 6S564
Editor’s Note: Some race cars look like they’re going 200 miles per hour at rest. This is one of them, a 1966 Shelby GT350 H Mustang. Somehow, they derived 572 horsepower from a 295ci Ford V-8. Giddy up! Thanks to RM Auctions for permitting Monterey Car Week to publish the photos and the article. By the way, the car will be up for bid in November. Want to go vintage racing? Here’s the perfect race car to have some fun.
Shelby GT350 Hertz
Photo Credit: Teddy Pieper ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions
572 bhp, 295 cu. in. OHV modified Ford V-8 engine, race-prepared four-speed Jerico transmission with a Hurst shifter and linkage, front and rear Cobra Automotive competition suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase: 108 in.
- Restored to vintage racing specifications by Scott Hackenson, of Cobra Automotive
This Mustang, chassis 6S564, began its life as a standard GT350 H rental car that was used for Hertz’s memorable “rent-a-racer” program. Then, in December 1965, it was shipped to Milo Brooke Inc., of Chicago, Illinois, for dealer preparation before its final delivery to Hertz’s headquarters. Following the car’s retirement from active rental duty, it was purchased in late 1966 or early 1967 by a Roger Meinke, of Adrian, Michigan, before it was transformed to its current state.
In 2003, chassis 6S564 was then acquired by Cobra expert Scott Hackenson, of Cobra Automotive in Wallingford, Connecticut. Over the course of two years, it was fully transformed into a well-prepared and highly competitive vintage racer to compete in SCRA, HSR, SCCA, and SAAC events.
The most noticeable change to the car, which was built around a new all-steel body and prepared by Cobra Automotive, is the installation of a 295 cubic-inch Ford V-8, which has a 12.7:1 compression, a BLP 750 CFM Winston Cup race carburetor, and an Edelbrock Victor custom-ported intake manifold that is mated to a four-speed, fully race-prepped Jericho transmission with a billet Super Hurst shifter. The car also sits on a complete Cobra Automotive front and rear competition suspension with four-wheel disc brakes. Of course, the interior is just as purpose-built as the underpinnings, and it features a single Kirkey aluminum racing seat with a five-point harness, modern gauges, and Plexiglas front and rear windows.
This GT350 H’s successful competition career began in 2005, when it was campaigned at famous tracks all over the East Coast, including at Road America, Sebring, and Watkins Glen. The car’s numerous podium finishes and competition success lead to additional press, and accordingly, it was featured on the popular television program American Muscle Car, as well as in several magazines, including the July 2007 issue of Victory Lane. This Shelby Mustang also saw action on the West Coast in the hands of a subsequent owner, who continued to campaign the car in SCCA races at Sears Point, Laguna Seca, and Thunderhill. Even though it has not been campaigned in Sam Pack’s ownership, it comes complete with a set of spares, including wheels and tires, and an additional exhaust system, and it is ready to be prepped for the track.
Motor Trend magazine tested the standard GT350 H when new and boasted, “We recommend it as a sure cure for all strains of boredom.” Considering this Shelby Mustang rent-a-racer’s race modifications, it is bound to cure whatever ails you.
