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Why was the GT350 designation not used?


Wayne  Grey

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Phill, I was aware of the 350' story, but members have been thinking that the 06-08 Shelby GTs may have something to do with the HP or Liters - I was just trying to indicate that it didn't. :drop:

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I think SA was waiting for the 5.0 V-8 to come out instead of using the 4.6. But I do think the SGT really is closes to the 1966 Shelby GT-350. Look at the connection between the GT-350-H and the 40th anniversary GT-H. OK I am bias.

Come on Steve, give us the poop or should I say the scoop. :)

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How could they have waited on the 5.0, wasn't that like 5 years after the decision had to be made on the SGT name? My guess is they had another car in development that was to be the GT350 that got cancelled. OK maybe not.

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Seems obvious to me: when SA cooked up the S (not yet named GT) Mr Shelby took a test drive and said, "Hey, nice car, but not good enough for the '350' name. I'm sure we'll eventually come up with something that will actually merit such a prestigious designation. It may take a while, but this one ain't it!"

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Personally, I think the opportunity to effectively use the GT-350 moniker has been missed. With the redesign of the Mustang and the latest rendition of the HP wars winding down I think the chance to effectively implemet the GT-350 label has been lost.

 

I could be wrong.

 

QSS

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Seems obvious to me: when SA cooked up the S (not yet named GT) Mr Shelby took a test drive and said, "Hey, nice car, but not good enough for the '350' name. I'm sure we'll eventually come up with something that will actually merit such a prestigious designation. It may take a while, but this one ain't it!"

 

If that was true, why would Carroll put his name and reputation on something that wasn't good enough? Further more every photo I have of the White and Black prototypes have GT on the front fender and SHELBY GT on the tape stripe - The fender "GT" was later replaced with the "POWERED BY FORD" badge as we all know.
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Seems obvious to me: when SA cooked up the S (not yet named GT) Mr Shelby took a test drive and said, "Hey, nice car, but not good enough for the '350' name. I'm sure we'll eventually come up with something that will actually merit such a prestigious designation. It may take a while, but this one ain't it!"

 

 

I tend to disagree with this one also. They made the GT500 Super Snake, a car well worthy of the Shelby name, yet he still wanted to push it to the Shelby 1000, even if it's impractical. Chances are he wasn't planning to call it a GT350 ever, he specified GT. So, given that assumption, the reason would lie pre-production as to why he called it this. So, what would that reason be...

Knowing the 350 story, its going to be something funny.

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The answer is simple. The bean counters were looking for ways to save money and increase profits. The simple solution was to drop the 350 from all of the Shelby GT badging. Net increase profit was $9.78 per car. :hysterical2:

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Personally, I think the opportunity to effectively use the GT-350 moniker has been missed. With the redesign of the Mustang and the latest rendition of the HP wars winding down I think the chance to effectively implemet the GT-350 label has been lost.

 

I could be wrong.

 

QSS

 

 

I completely agree. It honestly pisses me off that these car aren't officially labeled as GT-350's. Everything about them hearkens back to the 350's. They were introduced with the new vintage inspired Mustangs and were focused on road racing, just like the originals. The funny thing is most people know them as GT-350's. Dealers reference them as 350's, hell my local tuner who does lots of Mustangs every generation has mine written down as a GT-350. Motor Trend did an article when the SGT first came out that directly compares the SGT to the GT-350. In the end the only way I think this ever hurts anybody is the people who own these cars when the values go back up years from now. I think they will still be valuable being Shelby's and pre-title at that, but not having the historical GT-350 moniker will hurt their values. As for the modern GT-350's, bleh, whatever. Are they a cool car? Sure. Do they capture the spirit of the original? Not in my opinion.

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I completely agree. It honestly pisses me off that these car aren't officially labeled as GT-350's. Everything about them hearkens back to the 350's. They were introduced with the new vintage inspired Mustangs and were focused on road racing, just like the originals. The funny thing is most people know them as GT-350's. Dealers reference them as 350's, hell my local tuner who does lots of Mustangs every generation has mine written down as a GT-350. Motor Trend did an article when the SGT first came out that directly compares the SGT to the GT-350. In the end the only way I think this ever hurts anybody is the people who own these cars when the values go back up years from now. I think they will still be valuable being Shelby's and pre-title at that, but not having the historical GT-350 moniker will hurt their values. As for the modern GT-350's, bleh, whatever. Are they a cool car? Sure. Do they capture the spirit of the original? Not in my opinion.

 

 

that's funny. i feel exactly opposite. i like the fact that our cars aren't "riding the coat tails" of the gt350 name. i find ours to be just a little more unique because of that, even if it does take a little more explaining to people who haven't ever heard of a shelby gt!

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that's funny. i feel exactly opposite. i like the fact that our cars aren't "riding the coat tails" of the gt350 name. i find ours to be just a little more unique because of that, even if it does take a little more explaining to people who haven't ever heard of a shelby gt!

 

 

I get annoyed having to explain why it's a real Shelby. If people aren't calling it a GT-350 they're trying to tell me it's not real... despite the fact that I've got a serial numbered dash plaque with the old man's John Hancock on it. I get the idea of being different, but if I wanted to be different I'd buy a Roush or a Saleen. I'm a Shelby freak partly because of the heritage. I love that my car has roots in vintage racing and embrace all the ties to the past that I can.

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I never really understand discussions like this. We knew what we were and weren't buying when we bought them. It is what it is and personally I love what it is w/out any doubt.

 

As for people who deny or don't know it's a Shelby, that doesn't change the fact that it is. Heck, having actually been finished at SAI in Las Vegas, and a pre-title Shelby, that makes it more of a true Shelby than...ok I won't go there LOL...

 

Be proud of your Shelby GT!

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Heck, having actually been finished at SAI in Las Vegas, and a pre-title Shelby, that makes it more of a true Shelby than...ok I won't go there LOL...

 

 

 

oh boy! here we go! hahahahahaha!

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I get annoyed having to explain why it's a real Shelby. If people aren't calling it a GT-350 they're trying to tell me it's not real... despite the fact that I've got a serial numbered dash plaque with the old man's John Hancock on it. I get the idea of being different, but if I wanted to be different I'd buy a Roush or a Saleen. I'm a Shelby freak partly because of the heritage. I love that my car has roots in vintage racing and embrace all the ties to the past that I can.

 

 

i hear ya , i've been through the same thing. i think the shelby name is all it needs to emrace and own its vintage racing roots!

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Yah ilmor get that going again LOL. I have been in a few parades this year already and what I hear is "Wow a Shelby". Most folks that question if it is a Shelby or not just don't really know what they are looking and don't know a GT from a SGT or GT 500 for that matter. If you own a Shelby it's all good.

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Well in my opinion, I think the GT's look more like the original than the '11-13'. First of all, the 4.6 in Cubic Inches was equal to 281, which is pretty close to the original size 289. also, the GT models, from what I understand, were NA, as apposed to being SC. Then when you look at the mod similarities, the scoop, suspension mods with a slight engine mod to increase the NA motor, those mods sound more like the way the '65 GT350s were done. Does this mean I do not like the '11. Hell no, I love the unique look and sound. I just think the Shelby GTs look and have more similarities when being compared to the '65s than the '11 and up. Just my $.02.

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I never really understand discussions like this. We knew what we were and weren't buying when we bought them. It is what it is and personally I love what it is w/out any doubt.

 

As for people who deny or don't know it's a Shelby, that doesn't change the fact that it is. Heck, having actually been finished at SAI in Las Vegas, and a pre-title Shelby, that makes it more of a true Shelby than...ok I won't go there LOL...

 

Be proud of your Shelby GT!

 

 

I don't want to imply that I'm not, I flipping Love my SGT, anybody that knows me can attest to that lol. I just think Shelby missed out on an opportunity to capitalize on the nostalgia that was already going rampant with the new Mustangs, not to mention my guess that the value down the road will take a hit.

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I never really understand discussions like this. We knew what we were and weren't buying when we bought them. It is what it is and personally I love what it is w/out any doubt.

 

As for people who deny or don't know it's a Shelby, that doesn't change the fact that it is. Heck, having actually been finished at SAI in Las Vegas, and a pre-title Shelby, that makes it more of a true Shelby than a Yugo..

 

Be proud of your Shelby GT!

 

 

Fixed it for you as I know you didnt really mean anything with the Shelby name on it

 

Seriously dudes, Caroll covered this many years ago, the name doesnt make the car, the car makes the name.

 

Anyone doesnt want thier GT, Ill take it. I cant afford both but if your that upset.................

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I don't want to imply that I'm not, I flipping Love my SGT, anybody that knows me can attest to that lol. I just think Shelby missed out on an opportunity to capitalize on the nostalgia that was already going rampant with the new Mustangs, not to mention my guess that the value down the road will take a hit.

 

 

The value won't be affected. It was, is and will be an SGT... the basis and outcome remain relative.

 

 

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I believe by the time the Shelby GTs were in development the ink had already been signed on the rental of the Shelby, GT500, and KR names. On Ford's part It would not be good business sense to add competition to the Shelby GT500 to be released in 07. On Shelby's part it would not make sense to rent out all of your names at one time.

Now we are at 2014 a great 7 year run for a car that was supposed to be limited edition 2 year run. Ford now has the GT350 name to use, yes I believe we will see a limited edition Ford built Shelby GT350. Will it have the racing how to of the original, I sort of doubt it.

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Well in my opinion, I think the GT's look more like the original than the '11-13'. First of all, the 4.6 in Cubic Inches was equal to 281, which is pretty close to the original size 289. also, the GT models, from what I understand, were NA, as apposed to being SC. Then when you look at the mod similarities, the scoop, suspension mods with a slight engine mod to increase the NA motor, those mods sound more like the way the '65 GT350s were done. Does this mean I do not like the '11. Hell no, I love the unique look and sound. I just think the Shelby GTs look and have more similarities when being compared to the '65s than the '11 and up. Just my $.02.

 

 

That I agree with. The SGT's look more like the early Mustangs...the 10's and up more like the 69-70's. I often think this when I look at both my Mustangs in the garage.

 

 

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I agree with Denstang65 and Ilmor. I think the SGTs have more of a spiritual/genetic connection to the original GT350's. Yes..I've been though my own thread of concerning having to explain what my car is, but I've gotten over it. We have unique, beautiful cars and I'm good with them not being labeled GT-350

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I really loved my car but I really think the fact that these cars are registered just as a mustang GT it is really going to hurt the value of these cars in the long run. I just sold my car and took a real loss due to all the dealers pulling the car up as a mustang GT and not a Shelby GT. they really should have put Shelby GT on the title somewhere like the gt500. Even if you insure the car they just look at it as a mustang GT so if you wreck it unless you have Hagerty you will just get the loss of a mustang GT. I will buy another one again and I will always be a Shelby fan.

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I really loved my car but I really think the fact that these cars are registered just as a mustang GT it is really going to hurt the value of these cars in the long run. I just sold my car and took a real loss due to all the dealers pulling the car up as a mustang GT and not a Shelby GT. they really should have put Shelby GT on the title somewhere like the gt500. Even if you insure the car they just look at it as a mustang GT so if you wreck it unless you have Hagerty you will just get the loss of a mustang GT. I will buy another one again and I will always be a Shelby fan.

 

 

Don't tell anyone, but we secretly like passing Yugo's in stealth:

 

 

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