One Car, One Family and One Amazing Story
As Told by Mark Lopez
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Introduction:
We received an email from Mark Lopez that said: “I spoke with someone at a recent car show about our family car. It’s a 1966 Shelby GT350 that has been in our family for 59 years. It has some unique history. Please let me know if you’re interested. Feel free to check out our website to learn more about the car’s history.” We checked it out and were amazed. Over the years, Mark has meticulously gathered all the information about the car, documenting its provenance and getting signatures from all the well-known figures who were part of the Shelby Origins. (Check out the signatures on the glove box.) Mark’s efforts show the prized car is a living piece of history for this family, and the story is still being written.
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Over 59 years ago, my parents bought our family car “6S289” (VIN# for our GT-350) from the car’s original owner, Competition Press and AutoWeek (CP&A) magazine, on August 3, 1967, for $2600. 6S289 was Russ Goebel’s (CP&A President/Publisher) daily driver. As a 7-year-old, I vividly remember the test drive with my parents that day, sitting on the rear seat hump, which is still in 6S289 today.
6S289 includes some unique items Carroll Shelby did for his friend Russ from AutoWeek before 6S289’s initial delivery on November 5, 1965, on the Shelby trailer.
My dad drove 6S289 in an exhibition race at Sears Point’s opening weekend in December 1968. Our family took many vacations in 6S289, including our first trip to Disneyland in 1968.
There’s much more to the story of 6S289, including its 28 years of idleness in Mom’s garage (1977-2005).
In 2005, it was my pleasure to work towards bringing 6S289 back to its former glory. 6S289 was back on the road in 2007, and Mom was so excited to see it after 30 years. Mom attended car shows over the next few years and loved sharing her experiences with 6S289 with anyone who stopped by to see her special car. Thanks for keeping 6S289, Mom. The restored 6S289 was the centerpiece for a 2017 Autoweek Article about the car, celebrating its 50 years.
For more information, you can visit the vehicle’s website or view the YouTube Video Walk Around of the car.
