Make Your ‘Night Moves’ in Bob Seager’s 1969 Shelby GT350 Fastback
Bob Seager is a special kind of musician. It’s easy to pop off jokes at the 70s rocker’s expense. The truth is, Bob Seager and his Silver Bullet Band will step to the stodgiest of fogies with a few tunes and make them boogie; “Against the Wind,” “Hollywood Nights,” and, of course, “Night Moves.” The same could be same for the American muscle car. Like Detroit singer, the muscle car has to work for its respect. And, again, like Seager, few muscle cars have earned respect like the Shelby GT350 Fastback.
Bob Seager’s 1969 Shelby GT350 Fastback is for sale
I will stop pointing out all the comparisons between the Shelby and Robert Seager. Just know that I am doing it in my head. That said, 1969 was the last year of the mighty Shelby. This makes a 1969 Shelby significant aside from this one’s owner.
Silodrome notes that the ‘69 Shelbys are significant for another reason. The last year of the Shelby saw a front-end redesign that clearly separated from the earlier models. This new front end looked a bit more ‘70s. Some don’t care for this look as much.
Aside from the base collectability of this car, this one was once Bob Seager’s. Seager was a prolific recording artist from the Detroit area who wrote and performed many major hits throughout the late 70s and 80s. Over his career, he sold over 75 million records.
With all that hit money, Seager unsurprisingly spent his cash on this 1969 Ford Shelby GT350. Sometime after Seager owned it, it ended up at the Horton Classic Car Museum Collection, where it lived for years. Due to its museum life, it will need a full tune-up, fluid change, and tires.
Why is the Shelby GT350 so expensive?
The Shelby GT350 was the high-performance version of the already massively popular Ford Mustang. Shelbys are also pretty rare, considering they were only in production for five years. According to Silodrome, the first Shelby GT350 was introduced in 1965. The car featured a modified version of Ford’s 289 V8 engine, which had been significantly upgraded. The normal Mustang suspension and braking systems were also highly improved.
Eventually, the GT500 would join the GT350 as the bigger, more powerful high-performance Mustang. These models even got more luxurious features as the models progressed. The 1969 GT350s got that 70s-looking front-end redesign. While 1970 model Shelbys exist, they are a misnomer as they are still just 1969 models just re-labeled, says Silodrome.
What makes the 1969 Shelby Mustangs different?
We mentioned the front end, but the look of the headlights and grille isn’t all Ford did. The GT350’s body design changed a little bit, too, along with updated suspension, more powerful engine options, a fiberglass hood, and fiberglass front fenders to reduce front-end weight.
The rear spoiler also got a bit wingier, and the tail lights also changed. You also might notice that the air scoop situation up front is a bit more aggressive.
How much is Bob Seager’s GT350?
The car is heading to the Mecum auction in Houston on April 13-15. These cars often fetch well into the six figures. It’ll be interesting to see if Bob’s ownership will affect the value. Check the listing here if you want to know more about the Shelby.