Ford Photographic Files

[Brian Styles]

Just last week we identified four (4) more photo index numbers from Ford Photographic file number 5011. The location of this photoshoot was at elevation in Idyllwild, California on July 10, 1967 (a few days after the LLTC event). File 5011 was sometimes referred to as "California Mountains" or simply "California" according to the photo jackets.

There appear to be 188 indexed photos in 5011 file (based on the Ford Photographic jackets we've found with a few of the Color Negatives (CNs).

Out of the 188 photos, we now have found a total of eight (8) Color Negatives of the two "1968" Shelby advertising cars; six (6) of the convertible and two (2) of the fastback. 

For those just joining us, the "1968 advertising cars" were actually 1967 model year Shelby G.T. 500 cars that, in April 1967, were updated with '68 styled fiberglass hand-fabricated by A.O. Smith Plastics in Ionia, MI and shipped to SAI in California. The cars were a white convertible, #0139 and a blue fastback #0463.

A gallery of all photos, color negatives, and jackets we've found and cataloged are available online at https://stylescollection.zenfolio.com/p746094037 . This gallery will be updated as we find and identify new photos.

Photos found from this same shoot were also numbered with 149013-33 (file 149013, index 33).  Interestingly, we've found what we believe is the first photos taken of the convertible after it was repainted white, numbered 149006-633 on the back of the photo. This might indicate that the 6-digit file numbers belonged to one entity, such as SAI, while the 4-digit file numbers most certainly belonged to Ford... 

Recently, we've now found another Ford Photographic file number 4903. This file also appears to be taken in Idyllwild and features two other cars that were at the same LLTC event on 7/7/1067. A white Mustang Convertible and Red on red Mustang Fastback. We originally thought that photos of these two cars would have been included in the 188 photos of the 5011 file, however, it now appears that there was a different file created for the non-Shelby cars.

It's very probably these other two Mustangs were prepped and handled by the Show Car division of Shelby American, Inc. Hopefully, all you photo hunters can help with this effort to identify even more file numbers, photo numbers, additional photos from the files and eventually which cars were in them!

See Also

• 1967 & 1968 Shelby one minute TV commercials

[Rich Plescia]

Hey Brian,

I have several photos not shown in this link or on your website of the '68 Mustang photo shoots. Some, like the Red '68 Mustang GT fastback were taken at the same places, while others like the light beige '68 Mustang convertible were in a field, and another '68 Mustang convertible in Lime Gold was taken at a wharf or seaport shopping area). I'll attach the only one that had a CN # noted here. Unfortunately it's been over 4 years since I found this one, so the source is unknown.

Rich

[Brian Styles]

That's the same aqua coupe that was in the background of 0139 on the cover photo on the Sep.1967 Automotive Industries publication.

These cars were at at the LLTC event and then apparently taken out and photographed over the next few days in California (Idyllwild and other locations).

You can catch a sliver of the coupe in the right edge of these photos. The guy behind Shelby in the three piece grey suit is the editor of the AI publication.

Parchment interior. Rear defogger? No antenna.

[Rich Plescia]

Do you have any other photos of the aqua coupe at LLTC. I only see a glimpse of it in the "AI" cover photo.

Did you notice the beige Mustang convertible at LLTC does not have the black hood stripes like the other photos you just posted.

Other than that it appears identical (i.e.; gold interior, headrests, full wheel cover hubcaps, antenna, etc.)

[Brian Styles]

Currently, the AI cover photo is the only color photo we've found that shows the aqua coupe at the LLTC.

I believe the Aqua coupe is captured in a couple B&W photos taken by Motor Trend at the same event, seen here in the far right of the frames:

And, no, I hadn't caught that the hood blackout was added to the Mustang convertible after the press unveiling @ LLTC. Great eye Rich! The hood blackout was on the red fastback at LLTC. I wonder if someone in SAI's Show Car department may have forgotten to add the blackout to the beige convertible's hood before LLTC.