We were on hand to see the record-setting auction sale recorded by the original Bullitt Mustang at the Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida, earlier this year. It sold for $3,740,000 and earned the title as the world’s most valuable Mustang. However, that mantle could be challenged as another special pony crosses the block at the Mecum Auction in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Carrying the moniker “Flying Mustang,” the first Shelby GT350 R-Model is up for sale as part of The John Atzbach Collection up for sale during the auction. This 1965 Shelby GT350R Prototype was driven by a number of noted drivers during Shelby’s development, including Ken Miles, Bob Bondurant, Chuck Cantwell, Peter Brock, Jerry Titus. It also served as the demonstrator for Shelby’s media drive, so the press beat on it too.
However, it was during its debut race at Green Valley Raceway near Dallas, Texas on Valentine’s Day in 1965 that it flew into the history books. With Miles (whose story is central to the film Ford v Ferrari) behind the wheel, the GT350R leapt a foot in the air en route to success in the B-Production class. The photo became the centerpiece of the company’s marketing campaigns, and it kicked off the Shelby Mustang legend with a victory.
