In a throwback to the famed Shelby GT350H “Rent-A-Racer” program from the 1960s, Ford Motor Company, Shelby Automobiles and The Hertz Corporation are partnering to produce a special run of performance-modified Ford Mustang GTs – designated Shelby GT-H, for “Hertz” – that will be available for rent later this spring exclusively through Hertz. Approximately 500 units will be available through the Hertz Fun Collection at select airport locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii and Nevada.

Forty years ago, Carroll Shelby and The Hertz Corporation came up with an ingenious plan to help get a batch of high-performance, special-edition Shelby Mustangs into the hands of rental customers who also happened to be car enthusiasts. Ford supplied the new Mustangs with V-8 engines and mostly automatic transmissions, Shelby added extra performance and style, and Hertz gave the public access to the kind of unique driving experience that one would normally only find on a racetrack. Today, the story of the Shelby/Hertz “Rent-A-Racer” is legendary and surviving Shelby GT350H Mustangs are among the most sought-after collector cars in the world. To connect the magical past of the original Shelby GT350H with the modern capabilities of the new Ford Mustang, Shelby, Ford and Hertz have again teamed up, and – together with the Ford Racing Performance Group – have given the 2006 Ford Shelby GT-H a very classic, muscular look as well as some true performance credentials.

Ever since Ford announced it was going to build a production version of the Shelby GT500 Concept, enthusiasts have been abuzz with speculation about what other specialty Mustangs were in the works. Would Ford bring back the Boss? Could they be contemplating another Mach 1? How about another Bullitt? Their wait is now over: While the competition scrambles once again to play catch-up to Ford, Mustang momentum continues to grow with the introduction of the uniquely styled, limited-edition 2007 Mustang GT/CS – or “California Special.”

The Mustang GT/California Special arrives in late summer as a full, stand-alone option package on the 2007 Mustang. Much like the 1968 GT/CS that offered Mustang buyers more aggressive styling that was “Inspired by the Shelby GT,” the new California Special also draws some cues from the 2007 Shelby. What’s more, it offers the kind of limited-production exclusivity that has made the original California Special such a big favorite with Mustang collectors over the years.

Saleen knows all about power. As in S281 Mustangs, N2O Focuses and the S7, America’s first (and still the only) mid-engine exotic supercar. When it went on sale in 2002, the S7 was the only street-legal car in the U.S. with more than 500 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The media and S7 owners have raved about the car since it first smoked the rear tires in anger. And it has been recognized by numerous automotive magazines as the fastest production car in the world.

But during the past three years the automobile marketplace has witnessed an explosion of performance with models from manufacturers including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Chevrolet touting power numbers above the once magic 500 level.

Saleen is not an organization content to rest on yesterday’s 0-60 mph times or quarter-mile speeds. So for 2005 it’s “goodbye S7” and “all hail the S7 Twin Turbo!” This is the first major change to the S7 since its introduction, and it is a BIG change as in 750 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque, numbers the competition will be chasing for a long while we predict.

What happens when a legend from Texas reunites with a legend from Dearborn? The most powerful Mustang ever. After 40 years, racing legend Carroll Shelby and the Ford Mustang are back together with the introduction of the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500.

The collaboration between Shelby and Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) is yielding an instant collector’s Mustang that builds 475 horsepower in its 5.4-liter supercharged V-8. A modern interpretation of the Shelby Mustang of the 1960s, the Ford Shelby GT500 uses advanced engineering to attain the performance that made the original GT500 the king of the road.

True to the original GT500, it will be available both as a coupe and as a convertible when it goes on sale in the summer of 2006. “When Carroll was developing the original GT350 and GT500, he wanted to build the most powerful, most capable Mustangs of his day,” says Hau Thai-Tang, director, Advanced Product Creation and Special Vehicle Team. “Our goal was to build the most powerful, most capable Mustang ever.”

Serving as touchstone and inspirational leader for both the concept and the production versions, Shelby was impressed by what the team has accomplished. “It’s one thing to put 450 horsepower in an exotic supercar,” says Shelby. “It’s another to put that much power in something as affordable as a Mustang. The fact that they not only met their goal but pushed on to 475 horsepower is a remarkable achievement.”

Shelby knows something about creating modern supercars. He served as a senior adviser on the team that developed and built the 550-horsepower Ford GT.