Chassis No. 8T02R203132-02369

Most Shelbys are defined by their numbers. Build quantities, displacement, horsepower, and torque. Far fewer today stand out for their story and the kind of unrestored originality and provenance that set this 1968 Shelby GT500 KR Fastback apart. Fittingly for a car so defined by its legend, the “King of the Road” moniker itself was born not from marketing polish but from Carroll Shelby's quick thinking to claim the name intended to be used for an upcoming high-performance Chevrolet!

Completed in May 1968 at Ford's Metuchen, New Jersey, plant and finished in Candyapple Red over an extremely rare Saddle interior with Deluxe Bucket seats, Shelby number 02369 was optioned with SelectAire Air Conditioning, Tinted Glass, and more. Like all GT500 KRs, this example was fitted with the all-new 428 cu-in Cobra Jet V8 with its 427 medium-riser heads, aluminum intake manifold, special four-barrel Holley carburetor, finned aluminum valve covers emblazoned with "COBRA LE MANS" to commemorate Ford's victories over Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967, and cast iron headers. Period advertising lists the big block at 335 horsepower—a figure intentionally underrated for insurance purposes, with true output closer to 400 horsepower. To handle the power and torque, many Shelby KRs were equipped with a C6 Select Shift automatic transmission as is fitted to this example.

As documented in the 2020 edition of the 1968 Shelby Registry, this KR Fastback was shipped to Paul's Ford Sales of Kansas City, Missouri, in June of 1968. After some minor warranty repairs noted later that year with few miles added, the Registry records “Present owner/whereabouts not known.” Yet this is where the story truly begins! In 1970, the Candyapple Red GT500 KR was acquired from a dealer in Topeka, Kansas for the matriarch of the Good family of Salina, Kansas, with it described in a recent episode of Hagerty's Barn Find Hunter as “the family car.” Julie Hunter, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Good, was quick to point out that the children never needed to be told the family was leaving the house with the rumble of the Cobra Jet V8 enough to let them know they were soon to depart!

As time passed, the GT500 KR was driven less and less, yet remained well-cared for by the Goods, when it was placed into storage in approximately 2003. A copy of the title reveals just 60,412 miles accrued at that time. A scant 71 miles have been added over the past 22 years and as a result of its single ownership since 1970, minimal use, and reverence within the Good family this Shelby has never been restored like so many before it. As a result, it is one of the most original Shelby GT500 KRs to come to market in recent memory.

It would be an understatement to say that Shelby Mustangs may be some of the most scrutinized collector vehicles ever produced, yet it is the discovery of an example like this that manages to impress even the most informed experts. It continues to wear its original coat of Candyapple Red paint along with its original interior upholstered in Saddle with date-coded (4-68) seat belts mounted in front of the Shelby rollbar. Furthermore, the casting dates of its engine block (23 April 1968), intake manifold (C80E-9425-C), special four-barrel Holley 4168 carburetor (C80F-9510-AB), and transmission tag number (PGB-AF 010678), all match appropriately to the Ford completion date of 15 May 1968. In April 2025, with James Good's passing, a call to Brian Martin, Senior Director of Auto Restoration at McPherson College, brought Tom Cotter to Kansas that summer to document the discovery of a lifetime with daughter Julie able to properly tell the tale.

Since filming, the Shelby is now a running and driving example that otherwise remains in “as found” condition. Naturally, after the years spent as a special family car, stored for decades, Julie deeply cares who takes stewardship of it with the wish that “it will go to someone that adores Shelbys and someone that will take great care of it.” Given the care with which James Good and his family have preserved this 1968 Shelby GT500 KR Fastback 02369 over the past 55 years, it is almost assured that it will find a steward who appreciates it as much as they have.