Shelby Surprise! Grabber Orange G.T. 500

Vern Holden didn’t panic when his G.T. 500 wasn’t delivered as expected.

- Eric English

When Doug Byers bought this 1969 G.T. 500 in the fall of 2017, he knew very well what he was getting. More concisely, there were absolutely no surprises. Beyond the variety of features that distinguish the last of the vintage Shelbys, this one was originally finished in a brilliant Grabber Orange, had been freshly restored to a high standard, was powered by the rare 428 Super Cobra Jet, and had been sold when new by none other than Tasca Ford in Providence, Rhode Island. Understandably, it was a car that pushed all of Doug’s buttons, and nearly two years later he still has no regrets.

While Doug was well versed in the attributes of his new car, it was a stark contrast to the circumstances surrounding its purchase by the prior owner, Doug’s friend Vern Holden. Vern is a self-described “car guy” rather than a Mustang guy, a Mopar guy, or even a muscle car guy. Examples of Vern’s recent collector history include machines as varied as a ’32 Ford street rod, ’60 VW Bug, ’63 Buick Riviera, ’65 327 Corvette, ’68 427 Corvette, ’75 BMW 2002, ’07 GT500, and, of course, this ’69 G.T. 500.

Vern had long appreciated the history and mystique of the vintage Shelby Mustangs—first being interested in the breed while in high school when his friend owned a ’66 G.T. 350. But it would be many years later before Vern pulled the trigger, buying this ’69 from a dealer in Ohio around the year 2000. He says, “I didn’t have time to go look at it myself, so I hired an appraiser in the area to look over the car, evaluate it, and make a recommendation. The car was Royal Maroon, and I was led to believe it was the original color and a solid No. 2 in terms of condition—so I bought it. When it arrived at my house in Washington, I was incredibly disappointed, as the appearance was much closer to a 4 than a 2.”