No. 671 of 1,000 Hertz Special Rental Vehicles, this 1966 Shelby GT350H was shipped new to Burns Ford in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 21, 1966 for dealer prep prior to delivery to Hertz. It was purchased after its Hertz career by Monroe Davis of Annandale, Virginia, from Ken O’Keefe Ford of Louisville, Kentucky, in July 1967. Its known ownership history, per the Shelby Registry, includes Tony and Wayne Conover of the renowned Cobra Ranch, who restored the car in 1984, famed automotive artist Bill Neale (whose 1993-dated signature appears on the glovebox door next to Carroll Shelby’s). Today, Shelby No. 6S671 presents in tantalizing condition while having undergone a considerable range of performance upgrades to the original VIN-stamped 289/306 HP HiPo V-8 engine block, the serial number of which has been verified by respected SAAC authority Howard Pardee. Prepared and assembled by Wells Racing Engines of Duncanville, Texas, it maintains a stock appearance with its Holley 715 CFM Le Mans 4-barrel carburetor, Cobra aluminum intake and hollow-letter Cobra aluminum valve covers and Tri-Y headers. The original dual-point distributor is now fitted with a Pertronix module with an anti-theft kill switch. Closer inspection reveals that it is equipped with a MSD electronic ignition with rev limiter, a 1993 Mustang Cobra high-torque starter and a Fluidampr SFI harmonic balancer. Internal upgrades include TRW forged aluminum pistons, Crower Magnum rocker arms and a special Holman-Moody FIA 289 Cobra Short Track solid-lifter cam, ground by Holman- Moody expert cam grinder Larry Wallace. A 1993 Mustang Cobra NOS T-5 5-speed manual transmission was installed to take full advantage of this specially built HiPo 289 small-block powerhouse. Notably, the original Hi-Po balancer and pulley, Ford starter and rocker arms are included. Cosmetically, this rare GT350H remains stock in appearance both inside and out, including its Raven Black paint accented with Hertz Gold striping, underhood export brace, Shelby badging and Magnum 500 wheels. The black interior is likewise correct, featuring front bucket seats with stock Ray Brown Competition seat belts and a rear fold-down seat, Deluxe wood-grain steering wheel, dash-mounted Shelby 8,000 RPM tach and a Deluxe AM radio originally installed by Hi- Performance Motors in El Segundo, California, on January 13, 1966. Documented with Shelby American factory paperwork and owner receipts, history and photos, this very desirable Shelby classic was Carroll Shelby’s personal choice at the 2008 Texas Round-Up, and it won Best In Show, Car Corral at the 2018 Concours d’Elegance of Texas.
