Carrying Shelby number 02583, the car is a genuine barn find and ranks among the rarest open-top Shelbys of its era. Ford and Shelby American built just 518 GT500KR convertibles for the 1968 model year, and only 182 of those left the factory wearing Wimbledon White paint. This example is one of them, pairing its white bodywork with a black interior and a power-operated black convertible top.
The car’s history stretches back to August 3, 1968, when it was sold new at Nagle Ford in Rochester, New York, as part of a dealership summer sales contest. Decades later, it surfaces with its defining mechanical hardware intact.
Under the hood sits the 428-cubic-inch Cobra Jet V-8, the high-performance engine that earned the GT500KR its “King of the Road” reputation. The motor breathes through a functional Ram Air induction system and routes power through a close-ratio four-speed manual transmission. A Traction-Lok rear end helps put that output to the pavement.
The convertible was ordered with the GT equipment group and dressed with blue rocker panel stripes. Inside, black vinyl seats are complemented by genuine walnut woodgrain veneer across the dashboard, door panels and center console, along with a wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel and a Tilt-Away steering column.
Additional features include power steering, power brakes, a pushbutton radio, an oil pressure gauge in the center stack and 15-inch steel wheels fitted with Goodyear Eagle ST tires. A Goodyear Polyglas spare rounds out the package.
The Shelby crosses the block as lot V450.
Bid Here
John Lloyd