That One-Owner 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350 Sold for Nearly $400,000
“I plan on driving it. I believe cars are meant to tell a story and sitting in a garage makes for a very boring story,” said the new owner.
Yesterday, Oregon resident and retired GE engineer John Zeggert said goodbye to his 1966 Shelby GT350 after 56 years together. He had taken exemplary care of his Shelby since it was brand new, storing it up on blocks when he was away on overseas assignments and driving it sparingly over 50 years. When it sold yesterday at Mecum Auctions’ Indianapolis event, it had much of its original equipment and had racked up only 29,000 miles over the course of more than five decades. To put that number in perspective, that’s only about 43 miles per month or 516 miles for each year.
The car was valued at between $275,000 and $350,000, and Zeggert was shocked when the hammer came down for $396,000 yesterday afternoon. It was a bittersweet moment after so many years with his Shelby.
"As the bidding started, reality kicked in and I realized that it was no longer going to be mine,” Zeggert told me. “That was when I started to tear up a bit.”
I’m tearing up myself just thinking about it.
The buyer (who wishes to keep his personal details private) told me via email that the Shelby GT350 Fastback is worth every penny to him.
“To put it simply, it is my dream car,” he said. “But the fact that I was able to spend a day with John, the man who took such great care of the car, helped me decide to go the distance to get it.”
When I asked him what he is planning to do with the car (like put it in a museum, store it, or drive it) the buyer said, “I plan on driving it. I believe cars are meant to tell a story and sitting in a garage makes for a very boring story.”
He says he has always loved Mustangs; his first car was a 73’ Mach 1. But he remembers always turning to the Shelby section in my Mustang books hoping to own one down the road, and he never thought he would be able to attain one.
Now that the sale is complete, Zeggert said he’s looking forward to spending time with the new owner to visit his old Shelby on occasion, and he and his wife have plans to do some remodeling.
"I hope he can enjoy it as much as I did," Zeggert said. "That car changed my life."
It sounds like it's going to a good home, sir.
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