A fun ride for a weekend rip.
OK, time for a little bit of honesty here. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to rent a hot car for the weekend? Boy if you don’t have a hand up, you shouldn’t be here reading my latest post because that’s what it’s all about. I’d love to be able to afford a fast-fun car but let’s face it, it doesn’t fit in my budget. So the next best thing would be to rent a fast-fun car for the weekend and turn it back in on Sunday after I’m all done. No worry about new tires, something with the engine, a ding I might have picked up from a rock, or insurance. That was the idea back in September 1965 when Hertz’s “Rent-a-Racer” Program partnered with Shelby American to offer the Mustang GT350-H as a rental car to its customers. 1,000 were added to the Hertz fleet for Hertz Sports Club members to rent.
RELATED Spot: 68 Mustang GT Fastback.
1,000 GT350-Hs were added to the Hertz fleet and if you were a Hertz Sports Club member, and over 25 years old, you could rent a 306 horsepower Mustang for just 17 bucks a day and 17 cents per mile which was a sweet deal at the time.
Hertz advertised the program to those looking for a new motoring experience and a change of pace. It was a hit but as you might expect, the drivers who rented didn’t baby the cars and the program eventually reached a point when it could no longer continue because of repairs. As expected some customers would take their GT350-H for a weekend of amateur racing and return the vehicle in a rode-hard and put away wet condition. 1970 was the final year of the opportunity. After taking a long break in 2006 Shelby and Hertz reunited once again to launch the 2006 Shelby GT-H Mustang available to rent as part of the Hertz “Fun Collection.”
RELATED Spot: 78 Mustang II 2+2.
What are they worth now? Well since so few were made and many beaten into submission they are easily a six-figure car. Even cars considered #3 Good Condition by Hagerty vary from $74,200 for a 1969 Shelby GT350 Base, 2dr SportsRoof with the 8-cyl. 351cid/290hp 4bbl under the hood, to $800,000 for a 1965 Shelby GT350, 2dr Fastback with an 8-cyl. 289cid/306hp 4bbl engine. That same car in #1 Concours condition will set you back 1.1 million bucks. Come on Powerball!
Thanks for stopping by and reading about my spot this week. Come back next Friday for another one of my finds along with some of its history. Have a great weekend.
Savage On Wheels 
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