John May’s beautiful 1963 and a half Mercury Marauder is powered by a 427 engine and a four speed transmission. The car was made popular by winning many races on the NASCAR circuit back then and also performing well on the quarter-mile drag strips. Cars like this are worth big money today. (Complements John May photo collection).
Q: Hi Greg! I read your interesting article in the Spokesman Review regarding the ‘Mexican Shelby Mustangs’ and decided to share my story with you. I own a 1963 1/2 Mercury Marauder with a 427 engine and a four-speed transmission. I was in the Army in 1963 when the ’63 1/2 was introduced, but I really wanted a 1963 1/2 Galaxie 500 instead of a Mercury. On a salary of $106 a month and with a wife and many bills on the table each month, owning one was out of the question.
Several years later there was a used car dealer in my hometown named Dennis Fitzgerald whom I had known since childhood. I asked him if he could find a ‘63 1/2 Galaxie for me and he tried very hard with no success. However, he did have a car that he wanted me to have and he tried many times to get me to buy it.
The 1968 Mustang Shelby GT500KR appeared just after mid-year powered by a new 428 Cobra Jet engine. The KR stands for “King of the Road” and carts like this routinely go for between $125,000 to $200,000 and up at the Mecum Auto Auctions in pristine shape. (Complements Ford Motor Company and Mecum Auctions).
However, I declined on a number of occasions to buy the car he wanted to sell me. Then one day he called and told me that he knew about a ’63 1/2 Mercury Marauder that was for sale and that he still thought I should buy this “other car” from him instead. Well, I went ahead and bought the Mercury I own to this day. I’ve spent a lot of money on a new high-performance 427-engine and 4-speed transmission, but it is fun to drive and I get many compliments and comments on it.
But here’s the story. The car that my friend Denny tried so hard to get me to buy and I wouldn’t?
It was a 1968 Mustang Shelby GT500 KR 428 Cobra Jet.
Oh well, I’ve still got the Mercury (photo attached). Yours truly, John May, Chewelah, Washington.
A: John, what a story. Just so my readers know a 1968 Mustang Shelby GT500 KR is worth many dollars today. The “KR” stands for “King of the Road” and the model was introduced in mid-year of 1968. This GT500 KR features a hotter 428 Cobra Jet engine although it was still listed “way low” at just 335 horsepower. In previous GT500 Shelby Mustangs, engines were either a 427 (similar to your Mercury Marauder 427) or a Police Interceptor 428. When the hotter Cobra Jet 428 appeared later in 1968, it was offered in Mustangs and Shelby Mustangs, the later featuring aluminum finned Cobra valve covers. The list price back then was $4,473 for the GT500KR.
Today at the major auctions, these cars are bringing big bucks. The most recent Mecum Auction in Harrisburg, Pa. found a 1968 Shelby GT500KR convertible going for $190,000. In your state, a 1968 GT500KR coupe fetched $165,000 at the Mecum Seattle auction.
The one that got away from me was a 1968 Corvette 427-435 horse Tri-Power with aluminum heads that I could have owned in 1974 for $5,000 and being sold by a noted Corvette dealer in Reading, Pa.
Because of the oil crisis and gas rationing, muscle cars this were selling on the cheap but for one reason or another (which means I didn’t have the money), I couldn’t pull the trigger. Today, a similar 1968 Corvette 427-435 hardtop / convertible is an easy 100,000-plus car as one identical to the one I could have purchased (dark blue) sold at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction for $101,600 back in 2006! Most “non pristine” but good condition 1968 Corvette 427-435s usually go for $65,000 and up by private sellers on eBay auctions.
Thanks John May and Happy New Year to you.
(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist who welcomes comments or questions on collector cars, auto nostalgia or old-time motorsports at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, Pa. 18840 or email at greg@gregzyla.com).
