History of 1137
10/9/25
By Steve B.
"I want to give those people the ability to get an education and learn a trade that will help them get ahead!"
-Carroll Shelby
Car Number 1137, started off like a lot of the 224 other 1968 GT350, Hertz cars. Over 150 these cars were scheduled to be
built on January 11, 1968. That coincidentally was Carroll Shelby's birthday. Most Hertz cars were GT350, automatics with air conditioning.
Originally sent to the greatest Shelby dealer of all time, Gotham Ford, it would do service in the New York for one year before finding a new owner.
The dark green, fastback would stay in the northeast United States. In 2011, the car found its way to Texas. It's next owner was a guy named Carroll Shelby.
There are more than a few Shelbys that were owned by Carroll Shelby, however this was more than a paperwork transaction. The car needed a little love to return to its
1968 glory.
Shelby would donate this car to the Mount Pleasant, Texas Community College. Shelby wanted to make sure young men had skills they could use
to better themselves. Shelby always did have a way of supporting the trades. Mount Pleasant is about 120 east of Dallas, Texas.
Once the car was donated, it could be restored by the students, sold and the money reinvested in the automotive department.
The plan worked, because today, you can still find the "Carroll Shelby Automotive Institute" at Mount Pleasant Community College.
They offer degrees in becoming a fabricator or technician. How neat would it be to say you're a graduate of that program?
Carroll Shelby would pass in 2012, making this one of last great cars!
