Hertz Is Selling Off a Whole Fleet of Rare Fords with Shelby Pedigree

From old-school off-roaders to exotic supercars, Hertz’s rental options range far beyond mundane econoboxes.

Of course, even these specialized vehicles eventually need replacement to maintain relevance. As a result, Hertz sometimes drops incredible deals in its used car section to help clear out inventory.

The most recent of which is sure to be tempting, regardless of whether you’re a diehard Ford fan or just trying to save on gas. Beyond being a bargain, it’s also notable in that it brings both rarity and Shelby legacy to the table.

Hertz

A price drop for Hertz’s Mach-E

I’m talking about the latest price cut Hertz made to its Shelby Mustang Mach-E GT-Hs, as surfaced by Carscoops. The rental company began offering these EVs for sale in 2024, and they’re now available at a new low of $40,085 to $40,999 (compared to $60,000-plus initially).

Obviously, this still comes with the caveat that they’re retired rental EVs. However, these hardly seem like the workhorses of Hertz’s fleet. The most well-traveled among them shows 15,153 miles on the odometer, while the lesser-used examples advertise as few as 3,275.

Hertz

Moreover, being Hertz exclusives, these aren’t like the Mach-E GT you can normally buy. Beyond the gold stripes, Shelby’s GT-H overhaul added forged wheels, carbon fiber fittings and a Borla sound system tuned to mimic a V8 burble, along with a host of commemorative touches.

While the changes didn’t extend to the powertrain (output remains 480 horsepower), it’s nevertheless a treatment that only made it to a handful of vehicles. Most counts put Shelby Hertz Mach-E GT-H production at just 100 units in total.

Whether this will one day amount to any kind of collector value, only time will tell. Being an electric crossover, the Mach-E made for a dramatic departure from Ford’s Mustang formula.

Hertz

Building on a GT-H tradition

Nevertheless, these Mach-Es do at least tap into a unique model tradition. Back in 1965, Hertz partnered with Shelby American to offer a Mustang GT350-H as part of its “Rent-a-Racer” program.

At the time, the company added 1,000 of such pony cars to its fleet around the country, and drivers could rent their own 306-horsepower Ford for $17 per day and 17 cents per mile. Even with this kind of widespread accessibility, it wasn’t long before surviving examples emerged as collectibles.

Hertz

As auction prices for such cars climbed, Hertz and Shelby eventually revisited the concept in the form of the 2006 Shelby GT-H Mustang. It wore a set of distinctive gold stripes and came equipped with a smattering of choice upgrades like its predecessor, though half as many examples rolled off the line.

A decade later, the two firms then linked up again to celebrate the partnership’s 50th anniversary through the 2016 Mustang GT-H. Even harder to come by at just 140 cars strong, it’s a vehicle that’s also seen some impressive secondhand sales when ripe for a strong result.

In any case, all of these past Hertz Shelby collabs are united in their V8 power and fastback body style. As much as the Mach-E’s exceptional powertrain and crossover shape might work to its disadvantage for the present moment, they could one day be quirks that appeal to niche Mustang enthusiasts.

Hertz

Availability and pricing

Even if you’re not interested in speculating about potential collector values, the Mach-E GT-H is a looker, and the EV powertrain is bound to be tempting given the price of gas.

Assuming you’re looking at picking one up for yourself, you can head over to Hertz’s used car section. At the time of writing, there are over 30 Mach-Es available for sale, priced between $40,085 and $40,999.

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