One to Buy: ex-Dennis Golembiewski 1966 Shelby GT350
/
Because Ford had commissioned Shelby to produce the GT350 as a hot Mustang to contest the SCCA B-Production championship, it was no surprise that a good number of privateer owners elected to go racing after their hot new Pony car was delivered.
The GT350 was of course perfectly suited to competition use. Even in bone stock trim it proved a formidable competitor thanks to the myriad modifications Shelby carried out compared to a standard Mustang of the era. This long list of enhancements included work on the engine, transmission, suspension, steering, cooling and wheels plus significantly reduced weight and carefully optimised weight distribution.
Production ran from the autumn of 1964 until the summer of 1966 by which time a little under 3000 GT350s had been completed for the 1965 and ‘66 model years.
Currently on offer at the Grand Prix Classics showroom in La Jolla, California, is one of those GT350s whose first owner pressed it into competitive service: chassis SFM6S413.
The car was ordered on February 28th 1966 and shipped to Gerber-Payne Ford in Fremont, Michigan, on March 8th. It was subsequently acquired by the first owner, Dennis Golembiewski of Lincoln Park, Michigan, who immediately went racing in local events. As SFM6S413 wasn’t registered for street use until August 1970 (just prior to sale), it seems likely the GT350 served as Mr Golembiewski’s dedicated race car.
The next two owners (Walter Hannig and Fred Retterer, both from Ohio) continued to compete with SFM6S413 until the mid 1970s. More recently, the car has been subject to a major restoration to GT350R trim and is today offered in excellent condition throughout complete with its original Shelby sales invoice and SCCA log book.
