Shelby GT350 – 1967

Alongside the numerous GT40s that continued to win, several cars powered by the Dearborn V8 made their appearance in 1967. The most interesting of these was the Shelby GT350, based on the Mustang with Belgian driver Claude Dubois competing in the GT category.

The Shelby GT350, which was nearly as ‘old’ as the Mustang, was launched in the spring of 1964 and was a phenomenal success. For that reason, it was entrusted without delay to Carroll Shelby, who had been working with the Detroit company for years and who created the formidable Cobra by fitting Ford’s powerful V8 engine onto the agile and lightweight British AC Ace roadster.

The first examples of the GT version of the Mustang were shipped to Shelby American in California as soon as they were completed, for further development into a racing versions, in addition to the street versions required for homologation. Clearly, the destination for the new competition car was not European races, but rather the SCCA championship in the Production B category. However, the new car fascinated European sports enthusiasts, who used it in rallies and other types of competition. One of them was Belgian driver Claude Dubois, who competed in a Shelby GT350 in the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Used to European sports cars with refined chassis such as the Ferrari 250 GTO and 275 GTB, the driver appreciated the robustness and superpower of the ‘pony car’ " and its predictable handling, thanks to its rigid rear axle supported by leaf springs, which allowed for spectacular counter-steering when exiting the Mulsanne corner, much to the delight of the audience.

In the GT category of this edition of the 24 Hours, there were only seven cars, including a second-generation Chevrolet Corvette with a 7-litre engine. In the GT ‘under 5 litres’ category, the Shelby driven by Claude Dubois and Chris Tuerlinckx was up against the Ferrari 275s of the Belgian National Team and the Swiss Filipinetti team.

Despite Shelby's excellent work on the chassis, the Mustang encountered problems related to the demands of a race such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The start was marked by a minor accident in which the Shelby lost part of its spoiler, before being forced to retire on lap 58 due to an irreparable transmission oil leak. In addition, Dubois mentioned that the front disc brakes had a tendency to crack and the rear drums were not very effective. The four-speed gearbox offered a rather lengthy first gear, and the clutch, which slipped when cold, worked better when it was warm. The 7-litre Corvette was not much better and retired after 167 laps with engine failure, as were the majority of the GTs. Only one of the Ferrari 275s and one 911 S (less than 2 litres) made it to the finish line, coming in eleventh and fourteenth respectively. After Le Mans, the mechanical parts of the Shelby GT 350 were fitted into a Mustang Hard Top body competing in the 24 Hours of Spa, where the car had to retire due to a gearbox problem.