Kathy Pickering’s 1969 Shelby GT 350

   In 1982 I felt very overwhelmed. I was a Stay-at-Home Mom with four kids, ages 2 to 7, plus a stepson age 17. I told my husband, Richard, I had a dream of him and I cruising down Highway 1 in a cute little sports car. About three weeks later a big flatbed truck pulled into our driveway carrying a nice black car. My husband runs in from the backyard yelling, “It’s here, it’s here!” He grabbed my hand and we headed for the front yard. There was a man with a clipboard that said, “Sign here.” Richard signed and asked me what I thought. “About what?” was my answer. Richard said, “About your cute lit-tle sports car I bought you.” I looked at the black car, then back at my husband. I was thinking, “That’s not the sports car I was hoping for.” Richard was so sweet and thoughtful, I just said, “Thank you.”
    That was the beginning of a love affair with our 1969 Shelby GT 350. By the way, she was named Black Beauty.
When we moved to Vacaville in 1988 we joined Golden Hills Mustang Club. We enjoyed taking our Black Beauty to most every Club event: parades, car shows, drives to the coast, and many parties at club members’ homes. For the next 31 years our ‘69 Shelby was washed, waxed gassed up, oil changed, tires inflated, and whatever else she needed by my husband Richard.
   Three years ago after my loving husband passed away our ‘69 Shelby has only been out of his shop a few times. The car was driven to our Car Show by our grandson Dean to be honored in 2016. Our Black Beauty has been on a few short drives around Quincy where I live. After the snow is gone and the sun is shining again, I will take our “little black sports car” out for another drive.       By Kathy Pickering