Shelby, Ford and Hertz Launch Ford Shelby GT-H:
IT HERTZ…SO BAD

New York – Fifty years ago, in an effort to not only share Carroll Shelby’s automotive vision (more horsepower in – excessive weight out) with more of America, the wheels at Ford, Shelby and Hertz came together. In providing Hertz rental counters all over this great land with a Shelby-modified Mustang, they supplied the perfect antidote to all that was going on in that day’s combustive culture: more combustion. The Shelby GT350-H was a revelation when compared to the Fairlanes and Malibus populating rental car lots at the time. And – not incidentally – it moved not only the Shelby message but also some Shelby metal; if fading memory serves, Ford dealers didn’t have Shelby prospects lined up at the door until, of course, Shelby stopped producing them.

As you might have guessed, the Ford/Shelby team isn’t one to miss a marketing opportunity. And since ‘50’ is so round, the suits have decided this is a good year to reintroduce the concept – and perhaps supply a small escape from all that’s going on in today’s combustive culture. The recipe is simple enough: grab a Mustang from Ford’s assembly line, ship it to Shelby’s facility in Las Vegas and begin the transformation. Cosmetic mods made to the 140 (only) examples begin with the Mustang’s black exterior, to which is added the Hertz-hallmark gold stripes, a Hertz Edition emblem on the front fenders, Hertz Shelby GT-H sill plates and – of course – a numbered badge.

More substantive are the performance adds, including a Ford Performance cat-back exhaust, Ford Racing Handling Pack, 19-inch aluminum wheels and high-performance Michelin rubber. Atop the 5.0 liter V8 sits a unique Shelby-designed vented hood, while aero adds include a carbon fiber front splitter and rear spoiler. For more info visit either www.shelby.com or www.hertz.com/ShelbyGTH. And if interested in renting one, get the insurance…

50 Years of Style