|
It's a topic I never
get tired of relating, anyway........ In 1966 Shelby American built
a little less that 2400 Shelby Mustangs, 1000 of those were special
edition cars for Hertz Rental Cars. Of those 1000 GT-350H designated
cars just 85 were equipped with the 4 speed trans the remaining 915 were
all automatics. Mine is a documented 4 speed car. It was
rented at Sky Harbor and was the only 4 speed car in the Phoenix
inventory. The only other Arizona location to rent Hertz cars that
year was Tucson Int'l airport.
The car has lived
its' entire life in the Phoenix metro area and was an SCCA B/sedan race
car for a few years. I have learned many interesting things about
the car over the years and I still find out things from time to time.
Things like; it is
almost certain that two rather famous people had driven my car when it was
a rental; Those being Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti. I can
tell you more about that at another time.
I purchased the car
from a friend of mine in March of 1986 and proceeded to bring in home in 4
loads. The car was completely disassembled when I bought it and had
only been painted, not even striped yet. It took me a year of
working to restore the car completely both cosmetically and mechanically.
I began driving and
showing it in November of '87 and I haven't stopped driving it since.
It has proven to be a crowd pleaser most places it goes and has proven
itself over and over again. In March of 2006 I was contacted by Ford
Motor Company asking to use the car for promotional photos for the yet
unannounced introduction of the 40th anniversary Shelby Hertz Mustang in
about another 3 weeks. [The
picture shown below - ed.] I said yes, of course and we did the
photo and video takes in various places in the Valley. Most stills
were taken on the north apron at Deer Valley airport, the most familiar
one of both my car and the new Hertz were taken there. Other photos
and video were taken at South Mountain Park and a Hertz rental location in
Mesa.
The car has been in
too many magazines and books to mention and it still pops up from time to
time in a book or on TV. I'm truly proud of my Shelby because of
what it is and how much it seems to please people who know what they are
looking at. The real value of the car to me is in the places it has
taken me and the people I have gotten to meet and friends I have made.
These are people and places that would have been lost to me without it.
I've been truly blessed with this and I try to share that blessing with
others........... to a certain extent you understand.
I had chased a Shelby
for a number of years before buying mine. I had gotten to the point
I would have bought just about any Shelby within reason, but I really
wanted a Hertz because of the paint scheme. I really like that black
and gold! I missed on one really good deal and passed on others then
providence stepped in and I was presented with this car.
My wife at the time
supported me to the fullest and with that and a friendly lender I bought
the car and the rest as it is said is history. Thanks again, Jim and
thanks for listening to me go on. Ric |
