‘Ken Miles’ Mustang to be auctioned

The car in question, #SFM5R002, is one of three 1965 Mustang fastbacks supplied by Ford to Shelby American in late 1964 and the first to be raced.

Importantly for the price this car may achieve at auction is the fact it won on debut and the driver who delivered that win was Ken Miles.

Exposed to an all-new audience thanks to the recent ‘Ford vs Ferrari’ film, Miles made the Mustang’s US racing debut in Texas on 14 February, 1965, and duly won in the SCCA B/Production class, which to that point had been dominated by Corvettes.

After other drivers raced it throughout 1965, #SFM5R002 went back to Shelby American for further development work. In March, 1966, it came into the hands of Ford Performance Division engineer Bill Clawson, who also raced it in SCCA B/Production up to 1967. After that, the car passed through owners in Texas and Mexico, who continued to race it, before it returned to the US, specifically the Shelby American Museum in Boulder, Colorado, where it remained on display for more than a decade and a half.

Shelby collector John Atzbach bought the race-winner in 2010 and had it thoroughly restored and fully documented. Upon completion of the resto in 2014, Shelby GT 350R #SFM5R002 has taken Best in Class honours at both the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, amongst other accolades. It’s also been featured in numerous Ford Motor Company displays and presentations.

Previewed at Mecum’s Glendale, Arizona, auction in March, this significant Shelby GT 350R, the first R-Model built, will cross the blocks at Mecum’s 33rd Spring Classic auction, which takes place this coming 12-17 May in Indianapolis. For more details, go to https://www.mecum.com/

Photos: courtesy of Mecum Auctions