Hot Rod Mom’s Loyalty to Shelby 1966 GT350 is Touching
Margaret Alley has owned this stunning Shelby GT350 since 1967, and she loves nothing more than cruising in it.
Most of us know at least one “hot rod” granny with gasoline running through her veins. But the story of Margaret Alley isn’t your typical “older lady in a hot car” kind of tale. Because, you see, this gorgeous 1966 Shelby GT350 isn’t just her current ride, as unusual as that is. She (and her husband) have owned this spectacular muscle car since 1967, when they purchased it from a neighbor. Mustang 360 discovered this gem of a story (and a car) while hanging out at SoCal’s San Marino Motor Classic.
As the story goes, Alley’s husband Paul feel in love with the Mustang, which belonged to a neighbor named Carl. Paul had coveted the Shelby since the day he first laid eyes upon it. He would routinely inquire about buying the car, and eventually, his persistence paid off. A combination of Carl’s back problems and his wife’s hatred of the Shelby eventually led to an exchange. The deal? Paul traded Carl his Volkswagen Beetle and some cash. Talk about the deal of the century.
Paul drove the car nearly every day, using it on his early morning commute to Long Beach. The Shelby GT350 eventually received a cheap respray before the couple allowed Beverly Hills Mustang to do a proper paint job in 1981. But as the years went by and the Shelby’s value went up, the car sat in the garage more and more. Paul eventually passed away, and Alley even thought about selling the Shelby back in 2015.
With some prodding from her daughter, however, that didn’t happen. Instead, Alley hooked up with Mike Abssy of Schraders Speed and Style in Azusa, California, who performed a full restoration on the car. Now, Alley drives the car routinely to keep it in running shape, undeterred by the lack of power steering and disc brakes. And thanks to this feature, she’s also become quite the internet sensation in the process.
Join the Mustang Forums now!
