Red Hertz

[deathsled]

I sat down this morning (slow day) and took the liberty to count the number of red Hertz cars in the most recent registry.  I counted 61.  I also counted 24 with current whereabouts unknown. 24/61.  That is around 39 percent MIA.  (I did the math by hand and wrote the number in cursive.  Try that millennials!)  I wonder sometimes when the moon is full and the stars are dim, where missing  collector cars of this nature might thrive.  Maybe the owners are having a Hertz party somewhere at an undisclosed location and having a good laugh.  Or the missing cars were pressed back into service having traveled unwittingly to a parallel dimension with their owners, forever trapped at a Hertz outlet along with Tom Brady permanently seated in a black leather chair next to one of the red liveries saying "Let's go!"  Or the missing cars rest in silence, contained within the depths of decrepit garages, covered in dust, blankets, spare rims, wash buckets and old magazines.  39 percent is a significant number. Like almost half.

[Side-Oilers]

Interesting topic to muse.   

I wonder how many were totaled during their time at Hertz?  5-10%?

Then, when they were resold as used cars in '67 and/or early '68 they were (as has been reported here many times) mostly seen as thrashed out rentals and were at the bottom of the used car rung in terms of a Shelby.  So, that leads me to suspect that a higher number of those might have been purchased by younger-than-normal Shelby buyers...and then were treated to an even harder life of driving abuse. 

Another % thing to ponder:  What percentage of shiny new GT350Hs went to rust belt airports?  25-35%?   
Deduct another 25-40% from the possibility of a long life right there. 

Crashes, thefts, stripped, turned into race cars, sent to Mexico, etc.

Plus the unknown amount that might be owned by secretive humans, and don't let ANYONE know about it.

I hope that others with better Hertz knowledge can further this thread.

BTW:
I did the math my head (but don't ask me to do anything harder than simple cypherin') and I instructed my computer to write in cursive but it apparently failed third grade penmanship.

[deathsled]

Insightful observations, Van.  I had intended to look at the registry in greater detail on this topic and finally decided to sit down this morning and see what I could see.  I consider mine one of one because it is the only red Hertz with my fingerprints on the steering wheel. (That is when I am not wearing driving gloves.)  There was another thread on one of one and it can go to absurd lengths.  it is the human condition to distinguish themselves from everyone else.  I believe that is why we have art, music, tattoos and so on.

[deathsled]

As an aside, I wrote down the sfm numbers on my laptop but deemed it imprudent to list said numbers on a public forum for privacy considerations and to protect the marque.

[FL SAAC]

Some deep thoughts expressed here

[roddster]

  My half cent: Back in the long ago, few people wanted a used rental car, especially a used high performance one.  So, as the value fell, and fell, and fell, many were used up, and put away ...crashed.  Only to be later discarded, blame those high school kids.

[deathsled]

That's a high attrition rate for the red ones.  I suspect there may be a few stashed away by anonymous owners.  There is always a miracle car surfacing from time to time.  Given enough time, some more will show up to the Shelby party.  I think.

[Special Ed]

Great photo royce as u can see the 2 holes are staggered and both in different locations so not an easy changeover from 1 hole to 2 hole and having to make fine thread holes. In the past inspecting car i would find many single hole 9'' housings on cars that were supposed to have 2 hole and when i would question the car owners and was told someone out west was selling rustfree housings but they were the more common 1 hole and most guys never knew about the  hard to find unique 2 hole housings. Also the  9'' hard brake lines  and rear hose are different on the 2 hole housings.

[427hunter]

I sat down this morning (slow day) and took the liberty to count the number of red Hertz cars in the most recent registry.  I counted 61.  I also counted 24 with current whereabouts unknown. 24/61.  That is around 39 percent MIA.  (I did the math by hand and wrote the number in cursive.  Try that millennials!)  I wonder sometimes when the moon is full and the stars are dim, where missing  collector cars of this nature might thrive.  Maybe the owners are having a Hertz party somewhere at an undisclosed location and having a good laugh.  Or the missing cars were pressed back into service having traveled unwittingly to a parallel dimension with their owners, forever trapped at a Hertz outlet along with Tom Brady permanently seated in a black leather chair next to one of the red liveries saying "Let's go!"  Or the missing cars rest in silence, contained within the depths of decrepit garages, covered in dust, blankets, spare rims, wash buckets and old magazines.  39 percent is a significant number. Like almost half.

If the count you made was just Hertz cars I would say 39% attrition is remarkably low. I remember when Hertz cars were not only undesirable but worth 30% of a non Hertz car. It took many years for people to come to their senses and recognize that they are in fact 100% Shelby mustangs with just a company as there first owner.

[deathsled]

I sat down this morning (slow day) and took the liberty to count the number of red Hertz cars in the most recent registry.  I counted 61.  I also counted 24 with current whereabouts unknown. 24/61.  That is around 39 percent MIA.  (I did the math by hand and wrote the number in cursive.  Try that millennials!)  I wonder sometimes when the moon is full and the stars are dim, where missing  collector cars of this nature might thrive.  Maybe the owners are having a Hertz party somewhere at an undisclosed location and having a good laugh.  Or the missing cars were pressed back into service having traveled unwittingly to a parallel dimension with their owners, forever trapped at a Hertz outlet along with Tom Brady permanently seated in a black leather chair next to one of the red liveries saying "Let's go!"  Or the missing cars rest in silence, contained within the depths of decrepit garages, covered in dust, blankets, spare rims, wash buckets and old magazines.  39 percent is a significant number. Like almost half.

If the count you made was just Hertz cars I would say 39% attrition is remarkably low. I remember when Hertz cars were not only undesirable but worth 30% of a non Hertz car. It took many years for people to come to their senses and recognize that they are in fact 100% Shelby mustangs with just a company as there first owner.

The count indeed was only red Hertz cars.  I did my best count I could.  Sixty-one unless I missed one or two.  It is an apt description to state "current whereabouts unknown" as opposed to "missing."  Missing implies that no one knows where it is whereas whereabouts unknown could mean someone knows such as the owner.  The unknown aspect of such cars intrigues me not only for Shelbys but all marques of noteworthy automobiles.

[hertzz350]

My Hertz #689 was rented, then raced until the motor blew up. Parked in 1970 with 44k miles on the clock. It hasn't been on the road in 52 years. Being restored now and hopefully driving by end of year.

[deathsled]

My Hertz #689 was rented, then raced until the motor blew up. Parked in 1970 with 44k miles on the clock. It hasn't been on the road in 52 years. Being restored now and hopefully driving by end of year.

Now that is exciting news!  Keep us posted on the progress if you will.  I love stories about cars being brought back from the dead.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

I'd imagine Howard can sort the 66 Hertz cars by color with a mouse click on his spread sheet. It would be fun to have a spread sheet of all the Hertz cars so you could sort color and also where/when sent so you could see if the rust belt cars have a lower survival rate. I'd bet many went to the crusher in the mid to late 70s before the value shot up and little oddball sheet metal replacement parts were available. Today it's not unheard of to replace all but a 6" piece on the top of each front fender apron.

[Wedgeman]

Anyone know how many White/Gold Hertz cars there were ??

[papa scoops]

in tacoma..one. scoops