Shelby Mustang Auction Information

PARK RIDGE, NJ - 05/01/08 - The Hertz Corporation is proud to announce that it has contracted with Kruse International and Dyno Marketing on an exclusive basis to manage the public auctioning of Hertz's inventory of its Limited Edition 2007 Hertz SHELBY GT-H MUSTANGS. A strictly limited run of 500 2007 GT-H Convertible Mustangs were produced by Carroll Shelby exclusively for Hertz. Hertz will launch this program by offering 75-100 Limited Edition 2007 Hertz SHELBY GT-H MUSTANGS at Kruse's 17th Annual Auburn Spring Motorfair to be held on May 29 - June 1, 2008 at the 480 acre Kruse Auction Park in Auburn, Indiana.

According to David Stolt, Hertz's Senior Director of Car Sales Operations, "Hertz offered 40 Mustang GT-Hs for sale at the 2008 Kruse / Dyno Marketing Race Car & Sports Car Auction this past January in Concord, NC. The demand was overwhelming and all of the cars were sold. Kruse International and Dyno Marketing did a fantastic job and Hertz has decided to expand the program and launch a major Shelby Mustang GT-H Convertible sale at the famous Kruse Auburn Spring Motorfair this May." Stolt also said that "Hertz commissioned only 500 of the Shelby Mustang GT-H Convertibles and they are an extremely popular but hard to find vehicle in the Hertz Fun Collection. Therefore, we handle countless inquiries from renters and collectors who want to own that car. Shelby Mustang GT-H Convertibles are rarely available for purchase by the public and Hertz believes that its relationship with Kruse International and Dyno Marketing will provide Shelby GT-H enthusiasts with a fair chance to buy one." It was also noted that the buyers of the Shelby GT-Hs will be provided with all ownership documentation and membership in the official Shelby Registry.

"Kruse International is the largest collector car auction company in the world and we are very pleased that Hertz has chosen to work with us and Dyno Marketing again to offer these wonderful, truly limited edition collector cars for sale to the public" said Dean Kruse, President of Kruse International. "We believe that as many of the Shelby Mustang GT-H Convertibles as possible should be gathered for sale at the same time so that potential buyers and fans will have a great experience. Bidders will also be able to bid live online during the auction. If you have ever wanted to own one of these rare "instant classics" you MUST attend!" The 17th Annual Auburn Spring Motorfair is one of the premier annual auction events, featuring 1,000 outstanding collector cars in the Auction, swap meet, and car corral. This event is held at the 480 acre Kruse Auction Park on May 29 - June 1, 2008 and is fun for the whole family. For additional information concerning the auctioning of the 2007 Hertz Shelby GT-H Convertibles, including how to register to bid, please contact Malinda Blue-Barfield at (800) 968-4444 x 242.

[Source: Kruse]

Then go and buy one. That's right, you can have one of your very own for a mere $54,995 according to Hertz's fleet car sales site. Mixed in with the dreck up for sale are a few of the black-n-gold rent-a-racers and we just found one out at the Santa Clara sales site. It's sitting pretty with only 12,000 miles on it and we'd totally snag it too — except we don't have $55K sitting around. Also, we just remembered how hard those 12,000 miles probably were. Like dog years, we're of the assumption that you've got to multiply rental car miles by seven to get the actual wear-and-tear number. But if you're interested, give them a call at (408) 296-1721. Maybe they'll even make you a deal and throw in some maps for free. (Hat tip to Kolby!)

Stolen GT-H [stangnet.com]

Related:
GT-H 'er Done! First Burnout Vid Of New Hertz Shelby [Internal]

So Shelby's got themselves a GT-H Convertible and they auctioned off the very first rent-a-racer in 'vert form at the big classic car BJ down in Palm Beach. The GT-H drop-top's basically the same mechanically as the coupe — 319 HP, etc. The big difference in addition to the obviously droppable top is a rollbar and some big n' black Bullitt-style rims — the same as those seen on the black GT's Shelby's already selling direct to consumers. Only 500 will be built, and the other 499 will be auctioned off after they've served their terms at a Hertz rental station near you. The first one? Well — that one, as you can see above from SpeedTV, was auctioned off for $250,00 to Ron Pratte, who as we already know, has a serious addiction to overpaying for FoMoCo products. – Ray Wert

Related:
Jalopnik Question of the Day: What Would You Buy for $5.5 Million; Barrett-Jackson: We Get A View Live From Stage, You See Shelby Give Away First-Born GT [internal]

FoMoCo invited us down to Duke's Restaurant in Malibu to drive the Shelby GT500 Convertible, the Shelby GT and most righteously right-on of all, the Hertz Shelby GT-H along the beautiful Bo Stefan Eriksson/Mel Gibson/AC Schnitzer Memorial Highway. After a few minutes spent gawking at all four cars (they had both kinds of Shelby GT — the black and the white) parked against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, it occurred to us just how ludicrous it is that Ford is sitting on the pole in the race to be the first American manufacturer to go belly-up in a generation.

These Shelbys, especially the Hertz, raise men's heart rates. Women look at you when you drive them. Pretty, rich, Malibu-Barbie-type women. A trio of motorcycle cops even stopped by to ogle (which was good because I did something really dumb right in a front of a five-O an hour later and he didn't budge). If only Ford would attack the rest of their product line with the same vim and vigor... well, you know where and how this sentence ends.

First up was the 500hp, 480 pound-foot GT500 drop-top, sporting a detuned version of the recently deceased Ford GT's 5.4L Roots-blown mill. A stonker that happens to fill up every inch of space in the engine bay. Seriously, cramped to the point of having to go metric. GT Marketing Manager John Alguire explained that the fit is so tight that when they load the engine in from the bottom, they have only two millimeters of clearance on either side. Sadly, with the hood up, the motor resembles a chemistry set made out of piss-bottles. Best to keep the lid down and concentrate instead on all the angry looking snakes festooned on the vehicle. I counted seven, including two stitched into the seats!

Grabbing the six-speed Tremec handle is your first clue that this is not your mother's Mustang ragtop. Unfortunately, it is the last clue for quite some time. Call it a Q-car if you like, but in normal, everyday driving (which the ridiculously congested PCH provided plenty of) no indication is given that you are at the helm of the most powerful factory 'Stang ever built. The cowl shakes as per normal, the soundtrack isn't all that interesting, and the view out over the hood is nothing to write home about. Heeling and toeing into a red light provided the first inkling that something special lurks below, for as you crest 4,000rpm, an SVT badge in the center of the tach lights up orange. Cool! And when you press the button to turn off the traction control, it too lights up orange. That's when you should tell the passenger to hold on. As 57% of this porker's weight (3,920lbs. in all) is over the front axle, the rear end slides like Enzos hunt power poles. And once you get into third gear, the acceleration is frightening. We loved it. Summary: when pushed hard the Shelby GT500 Convertible is as cruel a car as they come. But why do you have to push it so hard?

Next was the Mustang GT Ford should have been building since day one, the Shelby GT. For reals y'all, this is the current height of 'Stang chic. Silver Le Mans racing stripe? Standard. Same hood scoop as the original Shelby Mustangs? Check. Bulging power dome bonnet? You know it. Badass brushed aluminum grill? Damn skippy. But beneath all the hotness lies the best bits and baubles from all three of Ford Racing's packs. A modded chip, 90mm cold-air intake, groovy mufflers, Hurst short-throw shifter, dampers, lowered springs, sway bars and the coolest-looking tower brace of all time — plus honest-to-Dyno Don Nicholson hood pins — all get installed and massaged by the factory. The resulting car not only looks and handles better than any Mustang to ever leave Dearborn, but it sounds better, too. Aside from the crap stock GT brakes held over from the garden-variety car, there's only one thing wrong with the Shelby GT — you can't get it with a gold stripe.

Enter the Shelby GT-H. I've driven all manner of high-gloss metal up and down the coast of California and never have I felt as fly or as desired. Everybody looked at this car. Wisely, Ford capped production of the Hertz Rent-a-Racer at 600 units, guaranteeing mondo exclusivity. Think of it this way, FoMoCo had to go to Hertz and rent this puppy for the event because they don't have any! The only differences between the GT-H and the Shelby GT is that the former only comes with an auto box, you can't turn off the traction control, some badging and the hood scoop, which is more in line from the original Ford/Shelby/Hertz GT350H. Never mind all that, as you still get 325hp, 330lbs. footsies of torque and the nipple clamps poking out of the hood. $99 a day and a buck-a-mile? Well worth it.

Almost as fun was the impromptu car show that took place in the parking lot. All those Shelbys must have stirred something up in the quiet beach-front community (or just brought a lot of car freaks together). Coolest of the day was the '49 Ford V La Carrera Panamericana "Mexico" racer, although I did get a few miles in a 1983 Porsche 911SC.
[by Jonny Lieberman]

Carroll Shelby Helps Choose Mercury Mariner Hybrid as 'Green Car of the Year' [Internal]

For the first ever time caught on camera, the kids over at Streetfire have captured burnout footage of the new just-for-Hertz Shelby GT-H. Mmm...we love the smell of home-grown hoonage in the afternoon. Smells like...burning 18" Goodyears. [Hat tip to Autoblog]

Related:
Jalopnik Rental-Car Reacharound, Short Form: The Shelby Mustang GT-H [internal]

Our buddy Jon writes in regarding his experience renting a Shelby GT-H from Hertz. Sounds like there's some kind of approval process that may keep the hoi polloi — at least those who pose a flight risk — from hopping aboard the train to Shelbyville. Check it.

Just got back from a business trip to Boston. My business partner Geoff and I were able to rent the Shelby GT-H at the Logan Airport Hertz.

WOW! So much fun. They really put you through your paces to rent it. We had to show our boarding passes. A manager had to check us in.

A few notes:

- We had Shelby number 55
- The engine has a wire on it so that you can't swap it out.
- They do a thorough engine check when you return it to make sure you haven't done anything to it
- I have never gotten so much attention in a rental car before. Constantly people driving up next to you requesting you to "light it up".
- A valet parking guy at a restaurant ran into the street and stopped us to check it out.
- It sounds awesome. The bottom note on it is fierce
- We got it up to about 115 MPH on the Mass Pike

Total cost for 24 hours - $196

Would do it again.

Related:
Hurt Me, Hertz: The 2006 Shelby Hertz Mustang [internal]

Automotive News reports Ford will sell a version of the Shelby GT-H Mustang Rent-a-Racer at dealerships, confirming a longstanding rumor that's been exchanged among sauced journos since the rental was unveiled at the New York auto show last April. According to the paper, FoMoCo prez Mark Fields will outline the plan at this week's automotive management seminars in Traverse City, where GM's Rick Wagoner will announce the coming Camaro. The 325-hp horse will be a 2007 model, dubbed Shelby GT, available in white or black with silver stripes — unlike the gold-on-black livery of the Hertz cars — and will be finished at Carroll Shelby's Las Vegas shop, with volume in the few-thousand range, according to a source from Ford. The new model will be the subject of the next installment of Ford's "Bold Moves" documentary — playing itself, natch. Ford execs also told dealers the company was building production versions of its Fairlane and Lincoln MKS concepts in 2008.

Related:
More on the Shelby Mustang GT-H [internal]