Shelby GT-H Production Start

Press Release

Special Edition Performance Mustang Rental Draws Excitement

On the 42nd birthday of the Ford Mustang (introduced on April 17, 1964), Carroll Shelby International, Inc's wholly owned subsidiary Shelby Automobiles, Inc. announced today the start of production of the new Shelby GT-H at its Las Vegas production facility. The Shelby GT-H was recently unveiled to press on April 12th at the media days at the New York International Auto Show and received rave reviews from the crowd with anticipation building for their introduction to the rental market later this year.

Forty years ago, Ford Motor Company, Carroll Shelby and The Hertz Corporation came up with an ingenious program to help get high-performance, special-edition Ford Mustangs into the hands of rental customers who also happened to be car enthusiasts. Today, the story of Shelby's 1966 GT350 Hertz "Rent-a-Racer" program is legendary.

To connect that car's magical past with the modern capabilities of the new Ford Mustang, Ford, Shelby and Hertz have again teamed up to offer the 2006 Shelby GT-H -- a hot, new performance Mustang that will be available only to Hertz rental customers beginning later this year.

Like the original "Rent-a-Racer," the Shelby GT-H will be instantly recognizable with its Black-and-Gold Hertz exterior paint-and-stripes theme, Shelby Automobiles performance hood, and other exterior styling enhancements, including a special front fascia and side scoops. Each Shelby GT-H will also wear unique emblems and feature a numbered dash badge with Carroll Shelby's signature.

"The Ford Shelby GT-H is going to be a unique rental experience for some lucky drivers," said Carroll Shelby, CEO of Shelby Automobiles, Inc. "We are excited to produce these cars at our Las Vegas production facility which will ensure the Shelby GT-Hs have all of the performance capabilities our fans expect from a Shelby Mustang."

To add a genuine Ford performance kick, the Shelby Team has raided the Ford Racing Performance Parts closet to add some additional adrenaline to the already strong Mustang GT. The car's 4.6L V-8/Automatic powertrain gets a Ford Racing Performance Power Pack, including a 90mm Cold Air kit, the Muffler Kit and the special Ford Racing engine calibration. And to put that extra power to the ground, Ford Racing Performance Parts also supplies its Handling Pack, including special dampers, lowering springs, sway bars and strut tower brace -- even a Ford Racing 3.55:1 ratio rear axle assembly. These modifications increase the overall horsepower to 325 and torque to 330 ft lbs, a 25 HP and 10 ft lb increase respectively.

With production expected to number only around 500 units in Hertz rental fleets across the country, this special edition Ford Shelby GT-H is sure to give Hertz customers a truly exclusive driving experience like only Shelby and the Ford Mustang can deliver.