Carroll Shelby’s very own 1966 Shelby GT350H Fastback Hertz Rent-a-Racer is going up for sale at the Bonhams auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. As if 1966 G350H Fastbacks aren’t rare enough by themselves, the provenance behind this model is on another level because of its association with the man who created the Shelby brand, to begin with. If you’re looking for the chance to own this one-of-a-kind model, you’ll need to be in top form at the Barrett-Jackson auction later this month. By all accounts, this car is not going to come cheap.

The provenance behind this car is unquestioned. It’s not just a 1966 Shelby GT350 Hertz Rent-a-Racer; it’s all of that with the extra benefit of being owned by Carroll Shelby himself. That wasn’t always the case, though, because the car left the factory in 1966 as an order from Hertz of San Diego. The dealership even added chrome Magnum wheels, a brake booster, and a radio to the car. The latter was actually installed by Hi-Performance Motors before it was delivered to Hertz.

After a year of being used by the dealership as a rental — the presumed cost back then was $17 a day, at 17 centers per mile — the Wimbledon White GT350H Hertz Rent-a-Racer found its first civilian owner, a man named Fred Johnson. It’s unclear how many years he owned it, but he eventually sold it to Mike Shoen, who proceeded to add a slew of parts to the car, including a 65’ GT350 pod with a tach and oil pressure gauge, as well as a Berry Plastiglas rear spoiler, an R-Model apron, valve covers, a radiator, roll bar, and a set of R-Model wheels.

The GT350H was in this condition when Carroll Shelby himself brought the car from Shoen, and the legendary auto designer and racer has owned it since. Five years after Shelby’s death, the GT350H has remained on display at Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas where it has been since 2008. At some point, after Shelby bought it, the car was returned to its original specification, at least except for the wheels.

This is the car that’s headed to the Bonhams auction where it will be auctioned off next week in Scottsdale, Arizona. It still proudly carries the same Wimbledon White body finish, and the factory painted blue racing stripes it had when it rolled off the production floor 51 years ago. Just as important, it also still has its original 289i OHV V-8 engine, the same powertrain that’s responsible for giving the car an impressive 306 horsepower. It’s unclear how many miles the car has in its belly, but with its current owner being no less than the late Carroll Shelby himself, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that this particular GT350H has been maintained and treated with the best of the care by the company that built it in the first place.

It’s no wonder then that Bonhams expects this model to be desirable enough to fetch a price of around $150,000 to $200,000. The car is listed without reservations so the price could go either way. Then again, this is a rare example of a Shelby that was owned and driven by Carroll Shelby. That alone could help the car exceed its own estimate by a wide margin.

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