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1968 Shelby GT500KR
The 1968 Shelby GT500KR was the mid-year Cobra Jet Shelby Mustang, marketed around the "King of the Road" name and built as a Shelby special edition of the first-generation Mustang fastback and convertible line. This page treats it as a Shelby American program over a 1968 Mustang base, while noting that later 1968 Shelby production and marketing were closely tied to Ford operations.
The safe, source-backed mechanical identity is the 428-cubic-inch Cobra Jet V8, rated at 335 hp and 440 lb-ft in period-style references. Public reference material reports both fastback and convertible GT500KR bodies, with 933 fastbacks and 318 convertibles. The target record here is scoped to the fastback special-edition parent slug, so convertible-only details are kept out of the identity.
Authenticity review should focus on Shelby-specific serial evidence, GT500KR side-striping and badging, the Cobra Jet ram-air engine-bay equipment, correct power-disc-brake presentation, correct rear drum hardware, roll-bar/interior configuration, and concours details such as KR starter-cable labeling and air-cleaner/decal placement. Exact axle ratios, transmission tag codes, and Shelby serial-number decoding should be verified from a Marti report, SAAC registry record, factory invoice, or build-specific paperwork before publication as vehicle-specific facts.
The gallery uses licensed Commons images and platform video embeds as model-line context. Captions separate representative photos from individual-car originality claims.