The Shelby line expanded in 1968, with the addition of an impressive convertible. Available with either a 302 c.i. or 428 c.i. V-8, it accounted for about thirty percent of Shelby sales.
In 1968, Ford took complete control of the Shelby operation and production was shifted to the A.O. Smith facility in Livonia, Michigan. Although there wasn't much difference mechanically between a 1967 and 1968 Shelby, the 1968 nose was restyled. The new look was decidedly Mustang, yet with a much more aggressive look. A fiberglass hood was once again used with relocated scoops and air extractor louvers to aid underhood heat dissipation. Headlight configuration reverted to a single seven inch unit per side, with Lucas fog lamps mounted inside the grille. The rear body and side scoops were carried over from 1967. The rear taillights were 1965 Thunderbird units.
The interior, in either black or saddle, used the production Mustang steering wheel. The roll bar, still standard equipment, was encased in vinyl on the convertibles.
As the High Performance 289 c.i. V-8 was deleted from the regular production Mustangs, it was also deleted from the Shelby as well. In its place a production 302 c.i. V-8 became standard equipment on the GT350. It used an aluminum intake manifold and a Holley 600 CFM carburetor to boost output to 250hp.
The 428 c.i. V-8 was carried over from 1967 but the dual carburetor setup was replaced by a single four-barrel aluminum intake manifold. Even so, the 428 was rated at 360hp, five more than the 1967 version.
During the model year, coinciding with the introduction of the 335hp 428CJ, the GT500 was replaced with the GT500KR(King of the Road). The GT500KR with the 428CJ, was clearly the fastest Shelby yet, in terms of straight line acceleration- with the exception of the few 1967 427s.
Because Shelby Mustangs were even more distinctive than before, especially the convertible, they were perfectly suited for their targeted buyers. The Shelby provided more than adequate handling, braking and impressive acceleration in a package that was more attractive and luxurious than regular Mustangs. Production hit a high of 4,451 units.
