“Carroll Shelby’s Cobra GT…for the man who wants everything in one car - Distinctive styling, superb performance, reassuring safety.”
This excerpt from a 1968 advertisement wasn’t promoting Shelby’s legendary 427 Cobra, unsurprising as the last of these pavement-pounding roadsters were built in March 1967. These quotes actually headlined one of Fords several advertisements promoting the arrival of the 1968 Shelby GT350 & GT500. In sync with Ford’s program of representing their cars with various impressions of performance, the decision was made in 1968 to amplify the association of the Cobra name with Shelby’s GT cars. The prior Shelby GT350’s & GT500’s were thoroughly accented with hints of the Cobra legacy, but 1968 was the first year that the Shelby GT cars were so directly coupled with the highly distinguished name.
While the spirit of Shelby’s 1968 GT cars were unquestionably influenced by the same essence that was at the very heart & soul of the legendary Cobra, that’s where the similarities ended. Whereas the original Cobra roadsters were strictly about performance alone, the 1968 Shelby GT350’s & GT500’s combined a fierce attitude with broad strokes of sophistication. In a mere 4 model years, Shelby’s GT cars went through an evolutionary process from the street ready race bred GT350’s of 1965 to the more refined yet exhilarating cruisers of 1968.
Although 1967 was considered to be a maturing year for the Shelby GT cars, what with all new unique styling and additional touches of luxury, 1968 was in all actuality be an even greater year of refinement. On top of introducing a convertible to the lineup for the first time, the biggest development in 1968 was the shift in production from the Shelby American facilities in Los Angeles, California to the A.O. Smith Company in Iona, Michigan. The lease was up on Shelby’s facilities and quite frankly, Shelby’s facilities didn’t have the capacity needed to meet the increases in production due to greater demand. A.O. Smith could. And seeing as Ford had taken on a significantly greater role in the development and production of the Shelby GT cars, it was a logical move for Ford to relocate operations closer to home.
As for the cars themselves, the design differences between the 67 & 68 Shelby’s weren’t quite as significant as the differences between the 67’s & 66’s, however, the 68 Shelby GT pony cars did receive several distinguishing style upgrades and interior enhancements. The most noticeable exterior modification was the redesigned grille. With its remarkably pronounced grille opening and wider split hood scoops which were moved closer to the front edge of the hood, the 68 Shelby was given a much more aggressive appearance. Positioned in the large grille opening were a pair of rectangular Marchal 656/322 fog lamps which were later recalled and replaced with Lucas FT8 units. Also new for 68 were a pair of safety reflectors placed at the edges of the front and rear chrome bumpers. The fiberglass hood received custom Dzus “push & turn” hood locks as well as functional louvers towards the rear edge of the hood which allowed hot air to escape from the engine bay.
With the GT500’s 428ci “police interceptor” engine breathing underneath the Shelby’s fiberglass hood, there was plenty of steaming hot air that needed to be released. The standard GT500 428 mill was replaced two thirds of the way through production with a new 428 Cobra Jet engine which utilized lo-riser heads from the 427 and a different cam along with a Ram Air injection system. While these underrated “KR” - King of the Road - GT500’s were seriously bad ass, the standard GT500 was no slouch. This heavy hitter, with a hi-rise aluminum intake & 715cfm Holley carburetor, could crank out a respectable 350-plus hp & 420lb.-ft. of torque good for 0-60 times in the mid sixes and quarter mile runs in the 14’s at almost 100mph.
A heavy duty driveline and rear axle combined with a competition based suspension, adjustable super-duty shocks, power steering & power front disc brakes assured that flexing the muscle of this Shelby would be an effortless yet enjoyable experience. Additional confidence-building features were added to the 68 GT’s interior which included a unique shoulder harness & inertia reel setup which was mounted to the Shelby’s interior roll bar. On top of all these performance and safety enhancing qualities, Ford made sure driving one of Shelby’s cars would be a comfortable experience, thanks to the 68 GT’s luxurious Mustang Deluxe interior. The console equipped interior, available in black or saddle, combined vinyl materials with full carpeting and rich touches of walnut grain which graced the Shelby’s dash and door panels. A pair of Stewart Warner oil pressure & ammeter gauges were recessed in the center console and the Shelby’s 8,000-rpm tachometer and 140-mph speedometer were set in the dash behind a wood grain steering wheel. Bucket seats, a mini glove-box, and a tilt-away steering column further highlighted the list of features of the 68 GT’s interior, all of which Shelby branded his signature on with a Cobra embossed padded armrest.
Additional Shelby signatures could be found at various points on the 68 GT350 & GT500 from the sculpted Cobra fender emblems which replaced the rectangular emblems of the 67 GT’s to the trademark Shelby Cobra pop open gas cap. Ford housed the uniquely styled gas cap between a pair of broad, chrome trimmed taillights which were borrowed from the 65 Thunderbird. The lights, attached to an argent colored fiberglass panel, featured sequential turn signal indicators and 5 individual chrome “teeth” - known as doors - that separated each taillight into 6 independent segments. The 68 Shelby GT350 & GT500 rode on a set of standard raised white letter Goodyear Speedway 350 tires wrapped around standard issue 15x6 steel wheels and mag-style hubcaps - a general design used by Chevy, Oldsmobile & Ford - or optional 15x7 10-spoke cast aluminum wheels. Both styles received Shelby Cobra center caps.
While the multitude of changes between the 67 & 68 Shelby’s weren’t significant individually, the changes were collectively remarkable. The public displayed their approval for the 68 Shelby with open wallets, and, for the third year in a row, sales were up. In 1968, 4450 GT350 & GT500’s were built and sold, two thirds of which were GT500’s. The 68 Shelby’s were quite arguably Ford’s ultimate blend of performance, style, and safety, unequivocally achieving the advertised definition of offering “everything” in one car.
Another manufacturer known for incorporating virtually “everything” into their products is the Watervliet, Michigan based organization of Exact Detail Replicas, the diecast manufacturing division of Lane Automotive. Led by the multi-talented Eric Trapp, he and his team of expert craftsmen have teamed up with the former design director of the Franklin Mint and accredited model designer Raffi Minasian along with famed Shelby historian and President of the SAAC, Rick Kopec. The end result of this collaboration - which amounts to the diecast industries equivalent of a “dream team” - is the breathtakingly stunning 1/18 scale replica of Shelby’s 1968 “Cobra” GT500.
An Exact Detail work of art, the 68 GT500 is deliciously coated in a Candy Apple Red shell, highlighted with white stripes over the top and GT500 stripes along the lower sides. The delightful exterior is further enriched with countless traces of brilliant chrome plated bright-work, framing the Shelby’s front & rear panes of glass as well as the drivers & passengers side drip rail moldings & window vents. The massive front grille opening is likewise framed in bright chrome with a realistic black mesh grille. Miniature Lucas foglamp units, making their home in the mouth of the Shelby, are also trimmed in chrome, detailed with black Lucas Quartz Halogen lens covers. The Shelby’s T-3 headlights are decorated with chrome trim rings and the Thunderbird style taillights are enclosed in a chrome border with a set of 5 genuine chrome plated “doors” breaking the miniature light assemblies into 6 individual segments. The taillight assemblies are mounted to an argent painted rear panel with a chrome plated pop-open style gas cap recessed in the valley between the taillights.
Other standard chrome accents from the big and shiny front & rear bumpers to the glimmering miniature details - like the twist style hood pins, outside door handles and side mirrors - truly intensify the attractiveness of this replica. A bead of chrome arches over the front and rear wheel wells and a pair of chrome plated rocker panels tie it all together. Shelby block letters accurately adorn the backside of the trunk lid as well as the leading edge of the front fascia just in front of the Shelby’s louvered dual scoop hood. Tampos of the sculpted Cobra emblems have been accurately positioned on the Shelby’s front fenders with additional coiled snakes fixed to the rear gas cap as well as the center caps of the Shelby’s 10-spoke wheels. Genuinely painted and detailed, the 10-spoke wheels, accented with realistic valve stems, come wrapped in a set of soft, generic blackwall tires. Raised white letter Goodyear Speedway 350’s were standard issue on the 68 Shelby, however, blackwalls are quite honestly a period correct look as they could have been opted over the rwl Goodyear's.
What more could you ask for in a beautiful color combination highlighted with brilliant chrome accents and accurate emblems? Well, these details wouldn’t mean a hill of beans if the body they’re applied to was poorly replicated. Fortunately, in the case of the Exact Detail 68 Shelby GT500, this is anything but the case. The fit & finish of the opening body panels are virtually airtight and the framework of Lane’s Shelby is remarkably precise from the nose to the sweeping fastback lines that terminate in the Shelby’s upswept trunk lid. The c-pillar and lower quarter panel scoops have been accurately shaped and situated on the Shelby with a simulated mesh tampo filling in the c-pillar scoops. Furthermore, Lane accurately captured the look of the 68 Shelby’s bulging hood with its wide dual scoops positioned at the front edge of the hood and simulated louvers towards the back.
Beneath that dual scooped hood is the dwelling of the Shelby’s 428ci mill, surrounded in an extraordinarily detailed duplicate of the GT500's engine bay. If there was ever one model that demanded to be displayed with the hood up, Lane’s 68 GT500 would be it. Accurately placed wires & hoses cross paths overtop of the 428’s genuinely painted Ford blue engine block & intake manifold, complete with a pair of authentic black finned “Cobra LeMans” valve covers and a matching black finned oval “Cobra” air cleaner lid. The 428 is flanked on one side by a detailed Autolite battery, with realistic cables & painted caps, which sits adjacent to a precisely molded & wired starter solenoid. An accurately cast windshield washer reservoir resides on the opposite inner fender, between a pair of authentic Shelby badges, appropriately painted blue & white to simulate a half full container, with a carrier line that runs back towards the firewall and a detailed master cylinder. Other fine details such as the dual horns and the "L" shaped hood latch bar as well as the detailed radiator and fan assembly, pedestrian as they may be, further enhance the realism of the Shelby’s engine compartment.
Realistic brake lines, descending downward from the master cylinder, are routed to the front disc brakes & rear drums with a genuine steel fuel line that runs along the outer edge of the undercarriage to the authentically painted gas tank. Other splashes of realism have been added to the oil filter and 4-speed transmission as well as the rear shocks and rear differential housing. Off of the detailed differential housing is a standard black painted driveshaft that rotates in unison with a turn of the rear wheels. The accurately shaped dual exhaust pipes have been completed in a stainless steel finish as has the Shelby’s transverse muffler which both channels enter & exit through a pair of chrome plated exhaust tips. The tips peek out from beneath cutouts in the rear valance, located just beneath the Shelby’s opening trunk. Inside the trunk is a precisely patterned trunk mat, space saver spare tire, painted jack stand, and even a brightly painted red toolbox. Inside the trunk you’ll also discover a miniature replica of a black cowboy hat - a signature trait of Carroll Shelby - as well as a remarkably legible jack usage & storage label which can be found on the underside of the trunk lid. Perhaps the most impressive detail found in the trunk of the Exact Detail 68 Shelby GT500 is one that is easily overlooked - a splash of metallic silver paint detailing the molded in trap door latch that, on the real Shelby’s, secures the fold down rear seat in place.
On the flip side of that fold down rear seat is a breathtaking interior, realistically finished in a warm shade of saddle with coordinating black accents and matching carpet. Chrome plated sill-plates and a pair of GT500 mats line the floor and a pair of non-poseable sun-visors accent the Shelby’s amazingly fabricated headliner. Both the front bucket seats & rear bench are attractively detailed including a genuine seat pattern and woven fabric seat belts with appropriate fasteners which are precisely detailed with authentic Shelby Cobra insert emblems. A pair of woven shoulder harnesses are coupled with overhead inertia reels which are mounted to the interior roll bar. The front bucket seats are split down the middle by the 68 Shelby’s unique center console, trimmed in the black and saddle interior theme with a hint of walnut grain. The center console is home to the Shelby’s 4 speed shifter as well as the detailed oil pressure & ammeter gauges. Behind a wood-grain-rimmed steering wheel rests the legible tachometer and speedometer which are each recessed in chrome plated housings set in the Shelby’s walnut grain dash. The wood accents carry over to a pair of wonderfully detailed door panels which are mounted to a pair of realistically hinged doors.
If you’re the type of person who wants “everything” in a diecast replica, then the Exact Detail 1/18 scale 1968 Shelby GT500 is the model for you. Complete with a laundry list of details & features, accurate contours and construction, and an eye-catching color combo, this Candy Apple Red Shelby is by far the finest reproduction of the 68 GT500.
