The Shelby American (Fall 2015)

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One car, 5R537, was not completed
to R-Model specifications. Sometime
before May of 1965, this car received
prototype sections of a 1967 Mustang
chassis which would accommodate a
big block engine. A lightweight GT40
MK II 427 engine was installed along
with a top-loader four-speed and the
car was used as a test mule for the
new GT500. It was track-tested by
Chuck Cantwell at Willow Springs in
May or June of 1966. It was also sent
to Ford in Michigan where it was the
second fastest car to lap their han-
dling track (the only car faster was a
GT40 MK II driven by Dan Gurney).
Orders for new R-Models had just
about dried up by the middle of 1966,
proving how astute Shelby American
was in knowing how many R-Models
to build. After 5R537 was returned to
Shelby American the engine and
transmission were removed and the
car sat in a corner until it was pur-
chased by a unidentified Shelby Amer-
ican mechanic as a roller in August
1967. This was about the time that
Shelby American’s lease on the two
North American hangars was expir-
ing. Production of 1968 models would
be moving to Michigan and the race
shop was moved to Torrance, Califor-
nia.
Even though 5R537 had not be
completed to full R-Model specifica-
tions, it had received an R-Model
Shelby VIN. This still left 36 cars ac-
counted for but according to the
Shelby American ledger, 37 Ford VINs
were listed as being intended for com-
petition cars and delivered in compe-
tition knock-down specifications.
However, only 36 cars were recorded
as having been converted into R-Mod-
els. According to the ledger, the Ford
number of the “missing” R-Model was
built into 6S800. The plot was thicken-
ing.
Ownership of 6S800 was reported
to the registrar by an owner in Japan,
Takahiro Ishii. However, the Ford VIN
he provided was a 6R09K number, not
the 5R09K number for the unbuilt R-
Model. To make the matter even
murkier, the 1966 Ford VIN claimed
by Ishii had been, according to the leg-
ger, used to build 6S791. This car was
owned by Ken Nelson who has had the
car since 1971 and has put over 200k
miles on it. Neither he or Ishii have
been able to provide the VIN from
their car’s engine block. It is possible
that the engine originally in 6S791
could now be in 6S800. At this point it
is part of the mystery.
Factory records show that 6S800
was originally purchased by Ray Wolff,
who worked as the sales manager at
Hi-Performance Motors and was also
an SCCA racer. He paid by check –
$208 – on 9/1/67. Wolff passed away
some time ago and apparently the de-
tails of 6S800 went with him. You have
to wonder what he could have received
for $208, even in September of 1967
when Shelby American’s hangars
probably resembled an “everything
must go” clearance sale. What is
clear – or as clear as it is likely to be
at this point – is that the chassis pur-
chased by Wolff carried one of the Ford
VINs that had originally been allo-
cated to build a GT350 competition
car. Obviously that car was never
built, and it represents the discrep-
ancy between 37 Ford VINs of cars
that were intended to be built into R-
Models and the 36 cars which actually
were made into R-Models.
Where does this leave Ford, today,
having built one additional GT350R
“tribute car”? If they were playing
solely to an audience of Shelby fanat-
ics it would probably leave them with
a black eye as far as history goes. How-
ever, fifty years after the fact there
aren’t likely to be many lemon-suckers
in the crowd. There probably aren’t
any Ford employees around today who
have any first-hand knowledge or ex-
perience from having been there in
1965. Someone tasked with research-
ing the actual number of R-Models
built in 1965 probably got hold of a
book which used the 1987 Registry’s
figure of 37. Once they found that,
there didn’t seem like any reason to
keep looking.
The bottom line: 37 becomes the
magical number, and one additional
owner will get a 2015 GT350R. But
you know the realstory.
The SHELBY AMERICAN Fall 2015 315