PROTOTYPE SHELBY AT MECUM
ARGUABLY THE most significant Shelby Mustang, the 1965 prototype GT350 R-model, is going under the hammer at Mecum’s Indy online auction on June 23-28.
An estimate hasn’t been set, however Mecum President and founder Dana Mecum told a national television audience on NBCSN, “If there’s ever a car that could surpass what the Bullitt car (sold in January for A$5.59million), you’re looking at it now.”
Commonly referred to as 5R002, this is the first Shelby Mustang to win a race and the only R-model built in this configuration. It was driven extensively by Ken Miles, Bob Bondurant, Peter Brock, Chuck Cantwell and Jerry Titus.
The R-model was Shelby’s answer to Ford’s desire to create a high-performance image for the Mustang, moving it away from the perception of it being a “secretary’s car”.
Shelby produced a machine designed to qualify for SCCA Production Sports Car competition and dominate it.
On February 14, 1965, 5R002 made its racing debut at Green Valley Raceway near Dallas Texas, where it came soaring over a rise a foot off the ground with Ken Miles at the reins and captured on film. That photo appeared in every enthusiast magazine and most newspapers around the country. According to the invoice included in the car’s documentation, on March 31, 1966, Shelby sold 5R002 for $4000 as a “test car – as is” to Bill Clawson a Ford Performance Division engineer reporting to Ray Geddes. Documented is Clawson asking Geddes if Ford could help him acquire a new motor. Clawson couldn’t believe his luck; a racing-spec GT40 Ford XE experimental engine that was never supposed to leave Ford property. All of the paperwork confirming and details of this engine are in Clawson’s files that come with the car.
In 2010, Shelby collector John Atzbach acquired the car after it spent 14 years on show at the Shelby American Museum. He commissioned Thoroughbred Restorations of Oklahoma to restore it to its debut racing spec. The restoration took four years and countless contributions by many enthusiasts and former Shelby personnel who originally worked on the car. development.