Time capsule 1968 Shelby G.T.500 KR cracks the top-10 in Auburn

1968 Shelby G.T.500 KR. Photos courtesy Auctions America.

A car is only original once, so it stands to reason that a low-mileage and well-preserved example would command a respectable price at auction. On Saturday, May 13, a three-owner 1968 Shelby G.T.500 KR fastback, said to be all-original and showing less than 23,0000 miles on the odometer, crossed the Auctions America stage in Auburn, Indiana, besting its low pre-auction estimate with a fee-inclusive price of $220,000, good enough to make the sale’s top-10.

Shelby’s G.T.500 KR (for King of the Road) upped the ante from its already outrageous G.T.500. Beneath the hood of KR models lurked Ford’s latest 428-cu.in. Cobra Jet V-8, officially rated at 335 horsepower (25hp less than the previous 428) but actually producing in the neighborhood of 400 horsepower. The Cobra Jet engine received 427 low-riser heads with rectangular intake and exhaust ports, a high-performance camshaft, a 735-CFM Holley four-barrel carburetor and a functional ram air induction system, and to insure the oily bits remained inside the engine, a high nodular iron crankshaft and stronger connecting rods were used.

This highly-optioned example was delivered to its first owner in June of 1968, equipped with features like the GT Equipment Group and power disc brakes (both required on Cobra Jet Mustangs), power steering, the Sport Deck 2+2 rear seat, shoulder harnesses, and a Tilt-away steering wheel. It isn’t clear how long its first owner, Allen George, kept the car, but since then it’s passed through the hands of just two other caretakers. The consignor, who owned the car for over 20 years, reportedly kept the Shelby in climate-controlled storage, and the car was offered with extensive documentation (including registration records) from its past owners.

Average retail for a G.T.500 KR in similar condition is $196,700, and the pre-auction estimate was $160,000 to $200,000. When the gavel fell, the car had reached the top end of this range, and with the 10-percent buyer’s fee included, went to its new owner for a price of $220,000.

1929 Cunningham V-8 carved panel hearse.

Other lots in the top-10 at Auburn included a 24 Hours of Daytona class-winning 2012 Ferrari 458 GTD race car, which sold for $462,000; a 1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin, which sold for $360,000; a 1944 Buick M18 “Hellcat” Tank Destroyer, which sold for $247,500; a 2012 Ferrari 458 GTD race car, which sold for $236,500; a 2015 Bruce High Performance Trailer, which sold for $231,000; a 1944 Panzerjager 38(t) Mit 7.5cm Pak Ausf M, without an engine or transmission, which sold for $231,000; a 2006 Ferrari 430 GT2 race car, which sold for $225,500; a 2014 Porsche GT3 coupe, which sold for $154,000; and a 1929 Cunningham V-8 carved panel hearse, which sold for $137,500.

1990 Pontiac Trans Am GTA.

More affordable lots of interest included a 1967 Ford Mustang two-door hardtop, which sold for $1,870; a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale convertible, which sold for $3,025; a 1984 Pontiac Fiero SE Indy Pace Car Replica, which sold for $3,850; a 1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500 roadster, which sold for $3,850; a 1948 Frazer Standard four-door sedan, which sold for $3,960; a 1956 De Soto Fireflite four-door sedan, which sold for $4,070; a 1977 Chrysler Cordoba, which sold for $4,180; a 1990 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA, which sold for $5,280; a 1974 Buick Century Gran Sport, which sold for $5,390; and a 1977 Dodge Monaco Crestwood four-door station wagon, which sold for $5,500.

For complete results from Auburn, visit AuctionsAmerica.com.