Shelby No. 03353 is one of 518 Shelby GT500KR convertibles produced for model year 1968, when production was shifted from Shelby’s LAX facility to automotive contractors A.O. Smith in Livonia, Michigan. Delivered new to Yates-Stevens Ford, Inc., in St Louis, Missouri, it was later in the long-term care and ownership of famed Shelby collector, the late Wayne Curry. Since then it has never been offered for public sale. After an investment of approximately $200,000, it is now fresh from a rotisserie restoration to concours gold standards, with only 5 test miles added since its completion. This GT500KR is simply sensational in every regard, ranging from correctly applied red oxide primer on the floors with proper spray patterns and correct paint daubs and chalk marks in the engine compartment and undercarriage. Significantly, the car retains the original, matching-numbers drivetrain, which comprises the legendary R-Code 428/335 HP Cobra Jet Ram Air big-block V-8 engine, 4-speed manual transmission and 3.50:1 Traction-Lok differential. Many other crucial original components were retained, including the rare KR-spec 735 CFM Holley 4-barrel carburetor, starter delay, S-tube, snorkel, Stewart Warner gauges and more. To further illustrate the care taken in completing this King of the Road, the top has been down only once, for the purpose of correctly fitting it during the restoration. Resplendent in Acapulco Blue with a white soft top, white side stripes and a black interior, it rides on Goodyear E70-15 tires on polished Shelby 10-spoke aluminum wheels, with a spare wheel and tire included in the trunk. Fulsome documentation includes a framed Elite Marti Report, a Deluxe Marti Report, an owner’s manual, restoration photos, period photographs, magazines featuring the car, the original pre-delivery service sheet and a binder containing breakdowns of all matching numbers including VIN tags, stamps, buck tags and casting numbers.
