Ever since the inception of the Cobra, Ford has always had a good relationship with Carol Shelby. In 1961 he set made a deal with AC Cars from England to sell the Ford powered Cobra with his new company, Shelby American.
In 1965, Shebly American debuted the Shelby GT Mustang. It was stripped down version of the production car which had many performance modifications. Competing in the SCCA Production Group B class, the race spec Shebly Mustang 350-R took many victories.
The 1968 Shelby Mustang represents the evolution of Mustang from both Shebly and Ford. In 1967 Ford redesigned the Mustang to allow both big and small engines. By 1968 the 428 Police Interceptor FE big-block was on the option list. These Production R-code Mustangs featured front Super Cobra Jet Engines, disc brakes and a functional ram-air scoop which served as a good basis for the Shelby Mustang 500 KR.
Shelby's Mustang offered many improvements for a customer demanding a 'King of the Road' Cobra. A redesigned front end, hood and rear end, accommodating 1967 Cougar tail lights, were manufactured out of fiber glass. While the fiberglass helped reduce the weight of these components, the 1967 body style was much larger and heavier than preceding models. As an example of how good Shebly-Ford relationship was, the car send to Shebly did not have hoods, or front ends.
Interior appointments were very similar to the deluxe interiors delivered by Ford. Shebly only installed a functional roll bar and a wood-rimmed steering wheel.
The most important changes were found under the hood. The engine had a dual plate intake manifold to support a 735cfm Holley carburetor, stronger connecting rods, dished pistons and a new crankshaft. These components, along with a highly ported head rose the standard horsepower to 335hp.
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