Hertz Rent-a-Shelby is back

You can't buy them, only rent them. Black and gold Shelby Mustangs will be available at Hertz locations only.

April 12, 2006; Posted: 11:50 a.m. EDT (1550 GMT)


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - In 1966, you could go to Hertz and rent a Shelby GT350-H, a 306-horsepower high-performance version of the Ford Mustang.

Those cars, slightly modified versions of the Shelby GT350 available for purchase at Ford dealerships, were available to members of the Hertz Sports Car Club and could be rented at selected Hertz airport locations around the country.

See photos from the NY Auto show

Shelby produced 1,000 of the cars, most with automatic transmissions and black-and-gold paint schemes, but the program lasted for only one year, said Matt Stone, executive editor of Motor Trend Classics magazine. During that time, rental Shelbys made occasional weekend appearances at race tracks, he said.

Forty years later, Hertz customers will again get the chance to rent a Shelby. This time, 500 black-and-gold Shelby GT350s will have 325-horsepower engines and high-performance suspension. A standard Mustang GT has a 300-horsepower engine.

The black car with broad gold stripes will be unveiled Wednesday at the New York Auto Show.

Hertz will not be renting out the Shelby GT500 which goes on sale this summer with a 475-horsepower engine.

"Putting those in the rental fleet would be like putting a match to gasoline," said Stone.

Despite the program's short life, the original Shelby GT350-H has become a performance legend.

"The Shelby GT350-Hs are some of the most sought-after collector cars in the world," said Steve Davis, vice president of the auto auction company Barrett-Jackson.

One of the original cars in pristine shape can be worth up to $200,000, said Davis, who owns a nonrental 1967 GT350.

"Bringing back some of these styles and retro looks is absolutely brilliant," Davis said.

Photos: New York Auto Show cars