Car of the Month – April, 2023
1967 Shelby GT350 (Paxton Supercharged)
1967 Shelby GT350 (Paxton Supercharged)
Engine 289 CID supercharged V8
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Horsepower 390+ at 6000 rpm
0-60 time sub-6 seconds (estimated)
Top Speed 150+ mph
MSRP price $4,747.00 (with $549 supercharger option)
Andy Granatelli, of Indianapolis 500 fame, called Carroll Shelby in 1965 with the idea of offering a supercharging kit as a Shelby GT350 option. Shelby loaned an early GT350 to Granatelli who subsequently demonstrated the prototype in July of 1965.
It was a straightforward conversion that completely transformed the GT350. Awed by the car’s increased performance, Shelby made the package a special-order option in 1967.
The new 1967 Shelby model, drastically restyled, reflected the look of performance while also being able to deliver it. A unique grill with two seven-inch driving lights could be found under the fiberglass nose extension, which was exaggerated from the production Mustang. Equipped with the special-order Paxton supercharger, 4-barrel carburetor and Carter high-volume fuel pump, and with over 390 horsepower on tap, these cars were capable of 0-60 in less than six seconds and topped out at over 150 mph – astounding performance for that era.
The blower setup was also made available over the counter, with Shelby dealers offering the Paxton supercharger system as a dealer-installed option for the GT350. (Between 50 and 100 were dealer-installed superchargers.).