Which came first?

[deathsled]

Watching a YouTube at the moment on the Cannonball movie Lamborghini and it was mentioned about the first Lamborghini being called the 350 GT.  My question that I ponder on rare occasion (this being one of those occasions obviously), is what really inspired the G.T. 350 moniker on the Shelby Mustangs?  Did it really evolve out of the distance from one building to another or is there somewhere else that derived the inspiration?  I mean, the 66 Shelbys had the rear Plexiglas quarter window allegedly Shelby took from some Italian car he really liked.  As a further addendum, GM was going to use King of the Road for their Corvette I believe until Shelby had his lawyer beat GM to the trademark office.  I am merely throwing it all out there for some discussion.  Not attempting to cast dispersions on the late great Mr. Shelby whom I still idolize for his accomplishments and derive inspiration from them in my own life to seek out and achieve.
Link here to the Cannonball Lamborghini for those interested.  Shelby Mustangs (and Boss 302 not to forget) are my favs but  I still enjoy all things automotive hence my post in the Lounge, my favorite sub forum thread maker... (gotta love the "screw you" attitude of Ferruccio Lamborghini in reply to Ferrari's response to his clutch complaint on the 250 GTO!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b7erU_DOfE

[A-Snake]

IMO, the 350 did not come from the distance from one point to another. I think it came from the fact that Chevy had the 327, Pontiac had the 326 while Ford had the 289. GT289 just doesn't sound big enough thus "let's use 350"

[98SVT - was 06GT]

There are the facts then there is the story. Don't ever forget Shelby was a great storyteller. Over the years I've heard many stories from people who were there at the time including CS and let's just say his stories evolved over the years.

BTW - Google maps says it .2 miles from the office to the building where the GT350s were built. It's not a straight route it laid out but any route is well over 600'.

[427heaven]

See if you can Google the engine room distance, tree fitty give or take.

[1109RWHP]

Someone should ask Chuck Cantwell.

[deathsled]

Someone should ask Chuck Cantwell.

Does anyone have access to Mr. Cantwell to ask?  I am most curious.

[1109RWHP]

Someone in the Lehigh Valley chapter should.

[Mongo]

The 69-70 paint codes in the "grid boxes" are "not" Ford door data plate or build sheet codes.  Because of all the Special and Grabber colors
which Ford would have left "blank" on the door data plates and build sheets.
"E" is correct for Acup Blue on the grid boxes and the correct color on page 1043 in the 1997 Registry and page 1280 for the Ford codes.
and in the 2014 the grid codes on 856 and the Ford color codes on page 1450 i see "E" for Acup Blue but the Major Paint Co codes are right.
Will have to correct that!
Vinman/Mongo

[Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas]

Someone should ask Chuck Cantwell.

Does anyone have access to Mr. Cantwell to ask?  I am most curious.

Sent Chuck an e-mail and this was his answer to oft heard legend about the name origin "number of feet to the dyno room "

Here's what he wrote

That's the general idea, but a little simpler. I had heard the story a number of times, but wasn't confident that it wasn't just Shelby lore; half true, half made up. But I heard the story from Austin Craig, a Shelby guy from the beginning, who claims to have had Carroll himself tell him the story a very long time ago. Austin was on speaking terms with Shelby from the early days. I have known him for 40 or 50 years. He retells his stories over and over every once in a while over that many years and we have spoken regularly over that time. And just last week he was retelling the (GT350) name story as told to him by Shelby.  It wasn't a large gathering, but just a meeting between Shelby and Remington involving the selection of a name for  the "Shelby Mustang" in (it would have to be) fall of 1964 (probably October). They; as Shelby told it to Austin; were discussing the name, when Shelby asked Phil ,"How far is it across the field - from here (Shelby's office at Princeton St.) to the Carter Street building ( diagonally across a field)?"  Phil supposedly took a hard look and said "probably about 350 ft." So Shelby said "Then that's what we'll name it - GT350". He then supposedly added the part about if it is a good or not good car, the name won't make any difference. That would have been before we received the first three cars.

So that would be the standard story, but it wasn't discussion among many, just Carroll and Rem.  (Therefore there weren't a group of people who could confirm the story). But hearing the story from Austin, who heard it from Carroll is about as close as you can get to the horse's mouth. I'm sure that Carroll had told many others, but around Venice, the story was always the same; which maybe was unusual for Carroll's telling the same story repeatedly, but that's the only way I heard that story repeated.

Best regards,

Chuck

So here's his answer

[FL SAAC]

Fascinating and simple
Thank you

Someone should ask Chuck Cantwell.

Does anyone have access to Mr. Cantwell to ask?  I am most curious.

Sent Chuck an e-mail and this was his answer to oft heard legend about the name origin "number of feet to the dyno room "

Here's what he wrote

That's the general idea, but a little simpler. I had heard the story a number of times, but wasn't confident that it wasn't just Shelby lore; half true, half made up. But I heard the story from Austin Craig, a Shelby guy from the beginning, who claims to have had Carroll himself tell him the story a very long time ago. Austin was on speaking terms with Shelby from the early days. I have known him for 40 or 50 years. He retells his stories over and over every once in a while over that many years and we have spoken regularly over that time. And just last week he was retelling the (GT350) name story as told to him by Shelby.  It wasn't a large gathering, but just a meeting between Shelby and Remington involving the selection of a name for  the "Shelby Mustang" in (it would have to be) fall of 1964 (probably October). They; as Shelby told it to Austin; were discussing the name, when Shelby asked Phil ,"How far is it across the field - from here (Shelby's office at Princeton St.) to the Carter Street building ( diagonally across a field)?"  Phil supposedly took a hard look and said "probably about 350 ft." So Shelby said "Then that's what we'll name it - GT350". He then supposedly added the part about if it is a good or not good car, the name won't make any difference. That would have been before we received the first three cars.

So that would be the standard story, but it wasn't discussion among many, just Carroll and Rem.  (Therefore there weren't a group of people who could confirm the story). But hearing the story from Austin, who heard it from Carroll is about as close as you can get to the horse's mouth. I'm sure that Carroll had told many others, but around Venice, the story was always the same; which maybe was unusual for Carroll's telling the same story repeatedly, but that's the only way I heard that story repeated.

Best regards,

Chuck

So here's his answer

[deathsled]

Thank you for posting the answer.  Sounds plausible and further, the consistent retelling of the story the same way can be an indicator of reliability (though not conclusive).

[gt350hr]

    About two years before his passing (rip) the COCOA club here in OC had the pleasure of haveing Phil as the guest speaker and he related the same story as Chuck did , 350 to the dyno room.
    Randy