Hertz GT350H

[60sStuff]

Cool story from my childhood.

My awesome Father, RIP, was a professional pilot based out of our hometown Springfield, Illinois in the late 50’s and through the 70’s.
Back then it was called Capital Aviation and I got my first job out of high school working in the parts department. This was 1972.

About 1966 my parents needed a new car, so Dad asked one of his good friends at the airport Bill Russell which managed the Hertz rental cars what he might have in a good used, not abused rental car.

Today my mind vividly remembers (I was 12 years old) when Dad took me to meet with Bill on the weekend to see what was available.
Inside one of the big hangers over in a dark corner were two Black/Gold Striped GT350H cars. Even as a kid those cars looked menacing.
Hell I’d never seen anything like that type of car before.

Yes, they had been pulled from the rental fleet and Bill informed my Dad that they may be available for purchase in the future.
Well we know what happens here. Obviously Dad thought they were cool but my parents needed a family car, so a purchase was made of a Mustang Coupe in the cool emberglo color.

Imagine if we only knew. Not one, but two sitting there for the taking.

The G.T.350 H
Capital Airport
My Dad (in the light blue coat) getting ready to fly Illinois Senator Dirksen in 1967.
Me on my ‘66 Schwinn Stingray with Moms Buick Wildcat and Dads Mustang.

[JRSully]

Very cool story.. Always loved the old photos that had the month/yr stamped right on the border!

[dykstra]

Way cool story! I’m in Springfield, IL at least once a week for work.

[SS427]

Originally Posted by dykstra

Way cool story! I’m in Springfield, IL at least once a week for work.

You need to let me know again one of these times when you are in town so we can meet for lunch or dinner.

[1967Z28]

Cool story. My dad used to travel quite a bit in that era and was a member of the Hertz Sports Car Club, or whatever they called it, so he got Shelby Mustangs most of the time. He would sometimes bring them home and I loved it when he did. We lived just off Hilltop Drive in Richmond, CA at the time and it had a long downhill on ramp for the freeway. I remember him wailing through the gears in those cars when it was time to head to the airport. Pretty awesome sound, and it's why I love high performance cars with a manual tranny. I guess most of the Hertz cars may have been automatics but I am only remembering him driving one with a stick.

[tom406]

Ken Miles in one of the rentals

[396 SS/RS]

In '08 before moving to Texas from NC I was in Dallas on business the week of the playoffs. Hertz had only 2 cars available for rent. Shelby GT-H promotional cars. Since Hertz was the company's preferred rental agency and was paying for it, I rented it for the week. Every evening was spent tooling around the metroplex. I think I put about 500 miles on that thing that week. I'm not a Ford man but I had a good time in that thing.

[juliosz]

A guy who owns a vending machine company bought a GT350H off a used car lot in Pontiac, MI around 1972. It had not been well loved up to that point but he drove the wheels off it. In the late 70s, he would stop by my buddies parents house and being high school kids, we would drool over it. I inquired several times over the years about purchasing but was never successful. I still see him every year when our church has its annual car show. I think that's the only time he drives it. The car really needs a full restoration. I'm sure a few "drive it as is" folks would argue against that but it's been in a few collisions so the originality aspect is long gone. It just looks beat and tired.

[60sStuff]

Beat and tired but I’d leave this one as is.

Actually from these two photos this H car looks dusty and in need of a wash job.
I still may leave it dirty if it were mine.

[Dave Rifkin]

Years a ago I used to belong to the Shelby Automobile Club (SAAC) and received their publication The Marque. One issue had an article that cover how the GT 350-H cars had been parked in an open field once that had been removed from service.
If I recall correctly dealerships (not sure about this part of the story) we allowed to survey the cars and purchase them as a much discounted price. Many were in need of some TLC but, man I would have loved to bought one back then.