Cars these days tend to come with an owner’s manual as thick as a farmer’s almanac.
You’ve got your infotainment system. Five or six different drive “modes” to help you navigate various and sundry terrains and road conditions. And a spate of safety features so breathless and daunting that you’ll begin to wonder if you should even be driving a car, much less this one.
But it was not always so. Once upon a time, cars were simple — but no less impressive. Consider this 1968 Shelby GT350, which just sold through a Sotheby’s auction for $111,100. The car’s description? “Four-speed manual transmission. Carroll Shelby signed dash. One of 404 1968 Shelby GT350 Convertibles [ever made].”
And just for good measure: “Air conditioning.”
One look at the car (which was indeed signed by the late automotive designer and father of Ford Mustangs, Carroll Shelby) tells you why it saw such a limited production run in its era, and remains an object of veneration in this one. Finished in a rich ocean blue with those signature racing stripes that run along the frame, the Shelby is an unapologetic looker, accented with chrome and made especially unique by a pair of grill-mounted high beams.
The interior, meanwhile, features two plush black leather seats, a gear knob, the Shelby-signed dash and the AC unit — which, considering it was singled out, must be world-class.
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