Topic: 1969 Shelby Quarter Emblems

[Brett]

I know there is some debate on the quarter emblems on whether they came with the snakes or snakes + cobra script.  However, is there any documentation or discussion on if some cars came without either?  The original owner of my car indicated that it never did have the emblems, and he sent me original pictures of the car and it doesn't  have them.  My car was completed in the 1st week of January 1969.  I also talked to another owner who's car was completed a week after, and he indicated his car didn't have them either - but he put them on during the restoration.  BTW, his car is also an MCA gold.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks
Brett

[TLea]

There has been much discussion and I don't know if there is conclusive evidence of one way or another. If it were my car and I was restoring it I would say snakes, no script. There used to be a debate whether or not verts came with snakes on the 1/4s or not. Similar thing and if you look at the picture below from Smith's inventory obviously some did.
ps: check out that door to fender fit

[J_Speegle]

As mentioned allot of discussion over the last couple of years (never heard of an original with nothing)

As with most details (when they are missing from the car in question) I tend to lean towards what other unrestored cars have from the same period.  In the car of the emblems, with and without script, it is likely IMHO related to when the car was finished at AO Smith.

Got at least one around 1000 with the script and allot of restored cars (well at least repainted) around the same period with them


I've owned and seen plenty of 69's fastbacks with the script.

[69GT350H]

Yes, old thread (10 years ago). Maybe I have missed another discussion, but I heard that the "Shelby" script emblems were being stolen on the way to AO Smith and eventually Ford stopped supplying replacements, so later 69 Shelby's did not include them. Not sure if this is 100% true or not. No on to the Hertz cars. Upon delivery to the local rental dealer, would these emblems be re-applied as these cars were gone over to make sure they were perfect and provided the proper image for Ford as rental cars, or were they left off like the others? I have left them off as mine is an April 69 car.

[Bob Gaines]

Yes, old thread (10 years ago). Maybe I have missed another discussion, but I heard that the "Shelby" script emblems were being stolen on the way to AO Smith and eventually Ford stopped supplying replacements, so later 69 Shelby's did not include them. Not sure if this is 100% true or not. No on to the Hertz cars. Upon delivery to the local rental dealer, would these emblems be re-applied as these cars were gone over to make sure they were perfect and provided the proper image for Ford as rental cars, or were they left off like the others? I have left them off as mine is an April 69 car.

If you want to leave the emblems off because of personal preference  then that is up to you given it is your car. From the Dealer to the first customer regardless of if Hertz or private owner the car would have had emblems . Consequently if you entered a car in a Major Mustang /Shelby concours venue and it didn't have the emblems the car would be subject to deductions if the judges catch it. Of course like any out of the ordinary anomaly if reasonable hard evidence (not undocumented hearsay) can be established for that particular car then the short coming is overlooked. Emblems were available years after the cars went out of production so they were not in short supply.  If individual rental outlets chose not to replace stolen emblems may have happened but I have never seen any Company wide documentation to that effect. The emblems and Shelby name identified the cars. The special car status helped justify the premium car rental by Hertz. Urban myth aside ,it doesn't stand to reason Hertz company wide would make a conscience effort do to hide the identity of the cars they were trying to promote.   

[Coralsnake]

Maybe I have missed another discussion, but I heard that the "Shelby" script emblems were being stolen on the way to AO Smith and eventually Ford stopped supplying replacements, so later 69 Shelby's did not include them.

Cars did not have Shelby emblems on their way to AOSmith. Rumor debunked. AOSmith would have been responsible to install the emblems. It’s unlikely a significant amount were stolen and I have never seen anything indicating they were discontinued.

[69GT350H]

Thank you, with this info, I will add them to my car.