Leno Compares ’66 Shelby GT350 Hertz Against New Rental Model

By TMS Editor - July 12, 2016

new Jay Leno Garage Shelby GT-H

The return of the Shelby GT Hertz in the form of a model based on a 2016 Mustang has sparked a lot of new interest in the rental program.

But as Jay Leno highlights, there’s nothing like the original car that birthed the “Rent-a-Racer” program 50 years ago, as seen in the video below where Leno explores some of the differences between the two models.

His personal favorite? Well, the original model, which really doesn’t come as a huge surprise, given Leno’s passion for classic American muscle. And to think, you could actually rent the 1966 Shelby GT-H for a mere $17 per day ($70 per week) and 17 cents per mile back in the day, compared with a reported starting price of $399 a day for the new model.

The chance of actually getting behind the wheel of one of the Shelbys was also better back in ’66, considering there were 1,001 units in circulation compared with just 140 units of the new GT-H that started making its way to select Hertz locations around the nation over Memorial Day weekend.