1968 Shelby Cobra GT500KR Fastback

Description1 of 2 Numbers Matching Documented Miles Air Conditioning 428 CJ C6 Auto GT500KRGo to www.noreserveclassics.com to see over 150 High Quality Photos, our Fully In-Depth YouTube Video with a POV Test Drive and Walk Around, and Fully Interactive Virtual 360 Tour for this 1968 Shelby Cobra GT500KR Fastback and all of our other inventory!No Reserve Classics is proud to present to you our beautiful, 1968 Shelby Cobra GT500KR Fastback. Not just any GT500 either - This is the “King of the Road”. A very original, very rare, survivor quality, full numbers matching Shelby, with a well-preserved interior and documented mileage. This is 1 of 1,053 GT500KR Fastbacks EVER built in 1968. And to make this even more sought after - it is 1 out of 20 highly optioned, factory air conditioning equipped GT500KRs with only 1 of 2 sent to the state of Michigan! How many do you think still exist today?? The long history of this Shelby is recognized by S.A.A.C, the Shelby American Automotive Club, and it's authenticity and provenance is cataloged within the Shelby Registry. Lastly, this is the only car known to be sold directly from the A.O. Smith Corp, the company who was only responsible for building Shelbys and was not a dealership. Originally built on 06/20/1968 in Metuchen, NJ and less than one month later, it was sent to Borgman Ford in Michigan with a window sticker of $5,297.51. From the 11/29/1968 invoiced date to November 6th, 1969 the subsequent dealer history is not known. However, included in the photo section is a bill of sale from A.O. Smith Corp. on November 7th, 1969. We've concluded that A.O. Smith Corp. owned the vehicle for a short period of time before then. A.O. Smith Corp was a subcontractor hired by Ford Motoring Company to build Mustangs into the Shelbys we know today. Unfortunately due to complications due to quality control issues, Ford had cut ties with A.O. Smith and started to build Shelbys in-house. In 1969, A.O. Smith was forced to close its doors. They had an overflow of cars on their lot they needed to get rid of. Most of the cars were donated to schools and other places as a tax write-off. On page 16 of S.A.A.C Magazine, which can be viewed in our photo section, a Shelby Engineer named Jim Frank, spoke of 1 or 2 cars that were ever to be sold directly from A.O. Smith Corp to anyone other than a dealership. With the bill of sale from A.O. Smith Corp, we believe that this is one of those cars. On November 7th, 1969, the final assembly foreman named Joe Beldt was able to arrange for his brother-in-law, Keith Blackrick to purchase this 1968 Shelby GT500KR in the amount of $2,150. Before the sale, Joe was believed to be driving this car back and forth to work and it had approximately 25,000 miles. Similarly, a gentleman named Cecil worked at this A.O. Smith plant whose job was to drive these cars, put miles on them, and then A.O. Smith took the information and improved the performance during these “test drives.” Keith, who owned a small used car lot, had to sell the car after 19 short months due to insurance reasons. The car was then purchased by Mark and Henry Adams. It was then sold to Gary Woodruff. And in 2001, it was sold to Dale Le Beau. In the midst of ownership with Dale, he noticed a “NOT FOR SALE” marking on the frame. The facts on this stamp have yet to be discovered, but also included in our photos is the letter written to S.A.A.C to uncover the true mystery between 11/29/1968 and 11/6/1969. This 1968 Shelby GT500KR now resides in New Jersey, where No Reserve Classics will be holding it until the next owner is ready to reopen the doors and drive a piece of phenomenal American Muscle History!The real reason this Shelby is dubbed “The King of the Road” is all due to what is underneath this hood and being forced air into with it's functional hood scoop. The famous 428 4V Cobra Jet V8 GT-500KR Motor! Attached is the C-6 Automatic Transmission with and all the power get's pounded into the ground by the Ford 9” rear end. And yes, they are all numbers matching! Back in the day, these vehicles were drag cars. They would run it down the strip, blow the engine, and swap in a new one. This one still retains its original drivetrain! With being an original Selectair Air Conditioning car it still functions today! This GT500KR is also equipped with Power Steering and Power Disc Brakes. It also incorporates the factory smog components.Arriving at your doorstep just as it would have 54 years ago, this highly optioned car, #3565, came with a few rare components. As you turned off your key the steering wheel would move away. This option was called the Tilt-Pop Column. Although they were problematic, we have taken the initiative to replace the faulty components with brand new components so that tilt away lasts a lifetime more! The Black Decor Knitted Vinyl interior has been untouched and is in very well preserved condition. With no tears in the seats, headliner, and not a crack in the dash this is one comfortable machine. All of the gauges function properly and all of the lightings as well. As we move our attention to the rear seating, it does incorporate the RARE Sports Deck folding rear seat. Overall a very well-kept interior that functions very well.Read Full Description