In 2010, Volk sold 5R002 to dedicated Shelby collector John Atzbach, who was invited to show the car at the Quail Motorsports Gathering, celebrating 45 years of the Shelby Mustang. Still in as-found condition, it was quite the sight amongst all the beautifully restored cars gracing The Quail’s manicured grounds. That same year, in 2010, it was invited and shown at the prestigious Kirkland Concours in Kirkland, Washington, as part of an exceptional display of “Screamers by Shelby,” again, still in as-found condition. Atzbach then commissioned John Brown of Thoroughbred Restorations in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to restore the car to its original racing configuration as seen at Green Valley, Texas, in February 1965. This painstaking task took four years and countless contributions by more than three dozen devoted enthusiasts, including many former Shelby personnel who played important roles in this car’s conception, construction and development. Literally thousands of hours were spent researching the car’s history before the physical restoration began. Hundreds of period photos were discovered and collected, along with original film and video of the car racing in its first race at Green Valley, Texas, and in another one of its 1965 races as a factory team car. Countless hours were expended traveling around the U.S. to locate and interview, on video, every possible person who had originally been involved with the car in any way. As a result of that monumental undertaking, 5R002 is extremely well documented with detailed first-hand information from those who were literally responsible for its creation and history. The restored 5R002 debuted at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours on the occasion of the Mustang’s 50th anniversary. Appropriately, Chuck Cantwell, the original GT350 project engineer who had driven it to one of its first class wins as a Shelby team car, drove it to the podium to receive the Best in Class Award for its division. 5R002 was shown at the National Shelby Convention at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, in 2014. It was judged by the National SAAC judges and received a 947/950 score in SAAC Division I judging with only 3 total points deducted. In 2014, it was invited for display at a special show of “Important Ford Prototypes” that was held in Dearborn at Ford Headquarters, where it was showcased alongside the other Mustang prototypes that Ford considers to be the most important of their prototypes in the world: “Mustang I,” “Mustang II,” “Mustang III,” 1965 Shelby GT350 Serial No. 5S003 (the street car prototype and the first GT350 built), and last but not least, this car—1965 Shelby GT350 Serial No. 5R002, the first competition car. 48 • MONTHLY MECUM.COM
