End of the road for Shelby GT350 muscle car (small block 5.0 liter Ford Mustang GT)

by Pearl Daniels

Shelby American announced that 2013 is the last year that their limited-run series of Shelby GT350 muscle cars will be available, and new orders are being accepted for all 2012 – 2014 model year Shelby American GT350’s through December 31, 2013. Their unique approach to making performance cars available began back in the 1960’s when they built GT350 1965, 1966 and 1967 model year vehicles in small numbers.
2011 model year 45th Anniversary Shelby GT350 coupes had a Competition white with Guardsmen blue stripe finish, akin to what the company had done with their initial car in 1965. In 2012, red, blue and anniversary black/gold celebrating 50 years of Shelby American were added, and their was a convertible too similar to the Shelby American in 1966.

As of January 1, 2014, this chapter of Shelby American history will close. Production of Shelby GTS, GT500 Super Snake and Shelby 1000, Shelby Raptor muscle truck and hot hatch Shelby Focus ST continue.

"The Shelby GT350’s rich history is well-documented,” said Shelby American Vice President of Production Gary Davis. “People value that heritage and tell us that they want this car to equal that exclusivity. We’re staying true to our commitment to deliver a small block car with high performance, unique styling and collectability in a way that honors our heritage.”
“The Shelby GT350 is one of the world’s most celebrated, iconic muscle cars,” said John Luft, president of Shelby American. “When we unveiled this latest version of the Shelby GT350, we promised it would be built for a limited time to preserve its collectability and value. So we’ve been preparing for this day since 2010. In true Carroll Shelby fashion, we’re planning our next ultimate performance Shelby model.”
“We’ve taken another page out of the ‘Carroll Shelby playbook’,” he added. “In the ever evolving automotive market, we continue to adapt to meet customer needs. While we’ll look back on the current GT350 with great love and devotion, as Carroll always said, ‘our favorite car is the next one we build’.”

Read more at http://www.rushlane.com/shelby-gt350-muscle-car-1285342.html#5i4My7MYg7tPdiou.99