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The Mystery of a GTS badged 1968 S-code Mustang built in Dearborn with some Shelby style features. This S-code 1968 Mustang 390 was built in Dearborn on March 28th, 1968 according to the Marti report. With a few features it was delivered as a Lime Gold car with double black stripes to a B1 canadian dealer. As we found out much later with a more detailed Marti report, it was Holiday Ford Sales in Ontario/CDN. Not so special yet, but look at the GTS letters, the then owner Brian found on this Mustang. They are not glued on, but mounted to drilled holes on the left side in the rear spoiler and at the front hood edge. They look like the 1967/1968 trunk letters put together in this way. Not a bad idea.  Next we saw side scoops on the rear fenders and the upper air vents, plus a rear spoiler in Shelby style. Pete Disher says, some could be some early engineering parts, yet final inspection of the inner surface is pending after disassembly of the car.  And then we have a strange fibreglass scoop on the fibreglass hood.   The hoodscoop is mounted more to the rear of the hood than a Cobra Jet scoop and it was obviously modified to fit the embossed line of the 1968 hood and front air inlet below the windscreen. The fibreglass hood is cut beneath to let fresh air reach the air filter and carb. The hoodscoop looks similar to the 1967 Stallion scoop, the owner believes it is close to a Mercury Cyclone hoodscoop. John Petry, Ford Performance Manager of Mainway Ford in 1967 and 1968 dragraced a number of Mercurys. We have already contacted him for some more background about the Stallion and any 1968 possible SEs from Mainway Ford or in the area. Unfortunately he did not remember instantly this car, but intended to contact his mates from the time. Unfortunately no response since. Update: As of March 2022, it actually turned out the GTS was not from Mainway Ford as a series. Here we need further input from our readers. The car came from Holiday Ford Sales, Peterborough, Ontario/CDN as the premium Marti report showed. We still tend to believe that the car has been inspired by the 1967 Stallion for 1968 from Mainway, but this is just speculation. Anybody out there who has an advertisement from Holiday Ford Sales around February/March/April 1968? The new owner - Brian Lee - sent us some pics he received from the previous owner Brian of the restoration. We will dive into those details later on with more expertise.   |
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 The initially red Mustang was stripped and carefully restored from Brian Lee from Maryland/USA. It came out very well in its original lime gold (greenish) color scheme. The Marti report shows a special DSO #. This is one way to identify them, so if you have a special DSO from that dealer, pls. contact us. |
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The special hood scoop was put back on and the stripes done in a
special silver color. Note the GTS emblem on the drivers side hood front end.  |
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Another
Convertible GTS is around in Canada. It
was delivered from Mainway Ford as a yellow car. The current owner- who restored
it into a blue colored CV - still has the
car, the engine got changed. We hope to get pictures of its original condition
some time. We have also searched with help from Steve McKenzie the digital archives of the Canadian Track and Traffic magazine from February to June 1968, but came up with empty hands about Mainway Ford ads. Any local Toronto newspaper archivist out there? The GTS was obviously built prior to the launch of the 1968,5 Cobra Jet, so maybe it was already dressed to show, but finally pulled back in favour of the 1968 428 Cobra Jet. The Marti research revealed that 8 GTS were probably built for Mainway Ford. |
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