Shelby No. 02472, this matching-numbers 1968 Shelby GT500KR Convertible was shipped new to Wood-Larking Ltd. in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The convertible model was a new addition to the Shelby lineup, production of which was moved for 1968 from Shelby’s West Coast manufacturing facility to an A.O. Smith company assembly plant in Ionia, Michigan. It also marked the creation of one of the rarest of Shelby’s classic GTs: the 500KR, standing for King of the Road. The 1968 GT500KR in both fastback and convertible form holds a special place in the model’s hierarchy as one of the most potent and exciting of the first-generation Shelby GTs. Early production GT500s continued as in 1967 with the Q-code 428/360 HP Police Interceptor V-8, but in February 1968, Ford introduced, at the urging of renowned Ford performance dealer Bob Tasca, a brand new production engine: the FE-based R-code 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air engine. Targeted specifically at the NHRA’s Stock and Super Stock classes, the Cobra Jet was underrated at just 335 HP, but its combination of 10.6:1 compression, Le Mans-spec FE 427 heads, valve springs and dampers, a 735 CFM Holley 4-barrel, high-flow intake and exhaust ports, and special header-style exhaust manifolds produced a pavement- ripping 440 lb-ft of torque that made NHRA officials take special notice. So, too, did Carroll Shelby, who immediately switched from the Police Interceptor to the Cobra Jet for the GT500 and renamed it the GT500KR. Listed in the SAAC Shelby Registry 1968-1970, Shelby No. 02472 still retains its matching-numbers 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air V-8 engine. One of only 518 KR convertibles produced, its T-code Candyapple Red, white stripes and top, and black Deluxe Mustang interior make for one of the more exclusive trim combinations. Fully equipped with power steering, power brakes with front discs, a 4-speed manual transmission, Shelby 10-spoke aluminum wheels with new BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires, tilt steering, Philco AM/FM radio and a new, power-operated, white convertible top, this exceptionally clean and well-cared for GT500KR convertible is documented with factory build sheets.
