1968 SHELBY GT500KR: The Other Horse Lee Marvin Rode
February 28, 2017
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive journalist Roger C. Johnson
This 1968 Shelby GT500KR once owned by Hollywood actor Lee Marvin is one of just 518 convertibles produced that year.
Let’s say you’re a famous movie star back in the ’60s and you know a thing or two about high-performance cars. You’re looking for a cool ride back and forth from your Hollywood home to the surrounding studios. It’s Southern Cal, remember, so a convertible would make sense. And if you’re driving around a big-time city, you’ll want all the power you can get. You know, to keep you in front of the herd. For Lee Marvin, this all added up to a 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500KR drop-top.
The engine option in this Shelby GT500KR was first made available to the public in April of 1968. This one was delivered to Marvin the very next month. So, if he took delivery in May, he must have special-ordered the car at the same moment Ford sent out the press release officially offering the 428CJ. This Shelby is one of 518 convertibles produced that year, and all of them included the new padded roll bar. The Acapulco Blue exterior makes Lee’s car one of 231. The contrasting black interior makes it simply gorgeous.
Since Lee had the means, he checked virtually all the boxes on the option list at the dealership, resulting in a fully equipped GT500KR ‒ including power steering, brakes and air conditioning. The underrated 335 horsepower engine sends energy to a C6 Ford 3-speed Select automatic, then to a classic Ford 9-inch rear end with Traction-Lok. This car does everything in style, including devour pavement.
Many people seem to think a muscle car with an automatic transmission is a second-stringer, but make no mistake. On the streets of reality in the late ’60s, countless 4-speed drivers were left in the dust by great-performing 3-speed automatic cars. The fact is, a big block with such a transmission was the ideal combination for the stoplight wars back then ‒ and, frankly, the same still holds true today.
One of those big blocks is Ford’s 428 Cobra Jet engine, which is laughingly rated by the factory at 335 horsepower. The number “400” is usually slipped into the conversation right about now, because that’s what it takes to run as quickly as these cars always seemed to do. The fact is, no manufacturer wanted to stand out too much because of their advertised horsepower numbers, since the feds and insurance companies were watching this market segment closely.
The Shelby’s console was autographed by Carroll Shelby himself. It makes you wonder who had the biggest thrill, Lee or Carroll, since they were both national heroes for all the right reasons. Several pieces of Lee Marvin memorabilia come with this Shelby to fully solidify the car’s movie-star heritage. Lee’s Shelby was also honored with the cover car shot for Mustang Monthly magazine in March 1991.
After a four-year love affair lasting approximately 46,000 miles, Marvin decided to buy something else and gave the Shelby to his gardener. Perhaps fortunately, that gentleman wasn’t really an automotive enthusiast, so this beautiful beast just sat covered up and basically undisturbed in his driveway for a number of years. At the same time, the energy crisis of 1973 put the dampers on muscle car use even for the most hardcore among us.
After this car’s leisurely period of life, it was rediscovered by a hardcore enthusiast. It swapped hands a couple times after that, when it was given a complete restoration using only original and NOS parts as required. Even the engine was rebuilt to factory specs. The Shelby’s original tires and wheels are part of the sale price – very cool reminders of Lee’s personal touch. But the real story to those tires isn’t in the remaining tread; it’s all about the tread that’s no longer there, thanks to Mister Marvin’s right foot.
As you can see, this rare Shelby still likes to flash its good looks and aggressive style. This fantastic machine has only motored 1,500 since its rebirth and represents one of the finest examples of the most beautiful and respected muscle cars in our hobby. Mount up today and let this Mustang be the agent for your own rise to stardom.
For up-to-date information on this vehicle, click HERE.