1968 Shelby Options
July 4, 2021
Options are items installed during the assembly of the car. In the case of many Ford vehicles, a prospective owner could determine what options would be on their vehicle. In the case of the 1968 Shelby, those decisions were predetermined. Almost all 1968 Shelbys were built to the same standard and then sold to the customer. These were sometimes referred to as "mandatory options" :-)
A new owner could select colors (exterior and interior), engine type and transmission. They could also determine if the car was to have air conditioning or not. Rear axle ratios were pre-selected based on the cars engine/transmission. In many cases, dealers simply traded or bought a car from another franchise dealer to fill orders.
Ford built over 317,000 Mustangs in 1968. Of the 4,450 Shelbys built they are all remarkably similar. This is confirmed by the build sheets.
All cars were built as "GT" models. The GT model supplied AO Smith with a pop-open gas cap, fog light wiring
and a heavy duty suspension. Dual exhaust was also included.
All cars came with the adjustable, Autolite shocks. There were no other options.
The cars also came with the extra cooling package. This gave them larger than stock radiators.
The wheels and tires were standardized as well. All cars with a few exceptions (mainly cars being exported) were
built with 15 x 6 steel wheels and hubcaps.
No other sizes of wheels or tires were available from the factory. Power steering and power brakes were included on all 1968 Shelbys.
The "interior decor" group was selected for all 1968 Shelbys. This included chrome seat buttons, bright pedal trim and a simulated
woodgrain on the dash and door panels. The woodgrain steering wheel was also added with a few rare exceptions, most likely due to
a supply shortage.
The dash also included a trip odometer and tachometer, along with a clock.
The fold down, rear seat was included on all fastback models.
Next time you see a "fully loaded" 1968 Shelby, you can smile, because it probably looks a lot like the other
1968 Shelbys built. Once you have mastered the information on this page, you are on your way to knowing exactly how the cars
looked when they left the factory.