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For reasons unknown, this question seems to be as heavily debated as was the authenticity of the government's claims of the first moon walk. For decades, some individuals have hastily concluded that the convertible never wore '67 fiberglass simply because "no pictures have ever been found."

The information below took many years to assemble. It was collected by multiple researchers and former caretakers of 0139. Numerous interviews of SAI employees, including Carroll Shelby were conducted. Vintage periodicals and vintage photos were heavily scrutinized. Here's a list of some of the more important things that led us to our conclusion:

• The big block convertible (0139), coupe (0131) and fastback (0100) were all ordered from Ford at the same time (August 9, 1966) with the same options. Vintage press photos show the coupe and the fastback received '67 fiberglass. It makes sense that all three would have been 'finished' the same way at the same time (November - December 1966).
   
• According to Carroll Shelby and the Vehicle Information provided by the CSF, the convertible was initially assigned to Carroll Shelby in December 1966.
   
• If the convertible was delivered to SAI in December 1966 like the rest of the cars that San Jose built for Shelby (i.e. without a hood, and without any Ford and/or Mustang emblems & ornamentation). Some sort of fiberglass had to be bolted on to the car so that it could be driven by Carroll Shelby, employees and his friends -- and there was no shortage of '67 styled front-ends, hoods and tail light panels on the racks in the assembly area.
   
• Bob Carlson, then Sales Manager of Hi-Performance Motors and a close friend of Carroll Shelby, confirmed Shelby wanted to offer a convertible in the '67 line-up. Bob Carlson also confirmed that it was "Shelby's personal driver," and that it was styled as a '67 when Carroll drove it into the parking lot a Hi-Performance Motors in December 1966.
   
•  The nomenclature of the 1967 Shelby VIN (specifically the fifth character), indicates there intent to offer three different body styles in '67:  "F - Fastback", "H - Hardtop", and "C - Convertible".
   
• The Ford Special Order Form for the convertible, DSO 2512, provides another hint that is being researched. The order for the convertible is labeled the "413C Pkg." This 'package' code was created to denote a GT 500, Automatic, AC+Smog-equipped Convertible. The Coupe (hardtop) was a 413H package. Shelby wouldn't have created package codes to order just one unit. Clearly it was Shelby's intention to offer coupes and convertibles in addition to fastbacks..
   
• Through interviews of Paul Kunysz and Lonnie Brannon, two former Shelby American employees, we learned that at least two other employee-owned stock Mustang convertibles received '67 Shelby upgrades including fiberglass and possibly carburetion. "Frank Martin's was blue and Jack Khoury's was dark green," according to the interviews. Despite receiving '67 fiberglass, it is unlikely that either car actually received a Shelby American VIN as there is no record in the registry.
   
• An interview with Gale Holderman (April 2014), he confirmed that Ford was responsible for the design of the '68 Shelby in an effort to address the shortcomings of the '67 Shelby design and build process.
   
• The December 1966 Production Order categorizes the convertible as an "Engineering Proto," just like the coupe "Little Red." By June 1967, the convertible was referred to as an "Engineering 1968 Prototype" on the Theft Repair Invoice. This would indicate that the car was re-purposed at some point.
   
• In the Authentication Letter provided by the CSF, Carroll Shelby states "the GT500 convertible was designed and built with 1967 Shelby upgrades..."
   
• When the convertible was discovered and taken apart for its first restoration (circa 2002), a number of items were found which indicate the car was prepped the same way as all 1967 Shelbys. These items include the unique '67 inboard highbeam wiring harness modification, the passenger side of the dashboard had holes for a '67 Shelby emblem (which had been covered up), under-dash holes for mounting the '67 gauge pod and large rectangular cutouts for the '67 style Cougar tail lights in the rear valence.
   
• The "show car" seat tags found inside the convertible's black Connolly Leather seats were dated "3-28-67." You can't assemble a styling prototype before the parts for it are built...
   
• In Fred Goodell's interview (1988), he states "The [convertible] was updated to 1968 specifications." In fact, based on the scrutiny of vintage photos, we now know the styling cars were updated/revised at least twice.
   
• According to the VanAkin letter, the '68-styled prototype hoods, front-ends, tail light panels and center consoles were all built by A.O. Smith and then shipped to California to "modify two cars for photographic purposes." Shelby American didn't design nor create the '68 fiberglass, so there was no reason they needed the convertible (or any other car) for clay modeling, fitment or any other type of prototyping.
   
• The other styling prototype car, an Acapulco Blue Fastback, now believed to be car #0463, wasn't even built by Ford until January 1967.
   
• In Jim Frank's interview (1986), stated "we built the damn thing and it got stolen almost immediately." Jim didn't start working for Shelby until February 1967. If Jim was involved in the conversion to '68 styling, that conversion couldn't have taken place until after he was hired in February 1967.
   
• The convertible's mysterious June 1967 Theft Repair Invoice seems to itemize most of the bolt-on parts (interior and under-the-hood) that would needed to transform a '67 convertible to '68 specifications (more or less). Items on the invoice include a tail light bezel, tailpipe extensions, hood pin kit, seat belts & shoulder harnesses, steering wheel & horn button assembly, AM pushbutton radio, two carburetors, air cleaner and distributor. All parts itemized on the invoice were '67 part numbers.

All evidence, including interviews, date codes, documentation and the timeline, clearly indicate that the that the convertible (0139) was originally fitted with '67 fiberglass.  It was later "modified with '68 styled fiberglass for photographic purposes" circa April 1967.