RIP Carroll Shelby (1923 - 2012)

Steve · May 11, 2012

Carroll Shelby, Automotive Legend, Dead At 89 (Jalopnik.com)

By Jason Torchinsky | May 11, 2012 3:20 PM

Before reality TV, and even still to a very large degree now, the best known name associated with performance cars to the average person is Carroll Shelby, and with good reason. Shelby has been considered a legend in the field for decades, and his influence is still strong to this day. He died today at the age of 89, as a result of complications from an illness.

Carroll Hall Shelby was born in the tiny town of Leesburg, Texas, and suffered from poor health throughout much of his childhood. By his teenage years his health improved, and, according to stories, received a speeding ticket the very first time he was loaned his father's Willys. His interest in moving very, very rapidly continued, as he served in World War II as a flight instructor and test pilot.

Before building the racing cars he's known for, Shelby was a driver himself, racing for a number of teams throughout the ‘50s, including Allard, Aston Martin, and Maserati. In his last year of driving, 1959, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Aston Martin.

But more than a driver, Shelby will be remembered as a man who built many, many fast cars. The first, and in many ways still most iconic Shelby came about in 1959, when Shelby obtained a license to import AC Ace cars from Britain. Shelby's revelation was to replace the straight-6 Bristol engine with a Ford 260 V8 engine, creating a light, incredibly fast sports car. Shelby went on to work with all of the Big Three American car companies, producing such car as his Series 1 with GM mechanicals, the Dodge Viper, and the Ford Mustang Shelby line that is still in production today.

Shelby's career hasn't been free of controversy: Shelby's company has been associated with firms that have allegedly used prison labor to build Shelby Mustangs, and prior to that, in the 1960s, Shelby was found to have skipped large blocks of VIN numbers on cars to give the impression many more were produced, to allow his cars to be eligible for homologated racing classes. In the 1990s, Shelby claimed to have found the "missing" chassis and frames, and began finishing and selling the cars. It was later discovered the "found" cars were, in fact, built from scratch. Interestingly, those cars, now called "continuation" cars, are still sold today as the CSX4000 Cobras. There have been other VIN-related issues, and sexual assault allegations against Shelby from last year.

Shelby has also had some stranger ventures, including a stint as a chicken farmer, founding a Texas chili festival, and once having a brand of deodorant named after him, Carroll Shelby's Pit-Stop.

In recent years, health has been an issue, with Shelby receiving a heart transplant in 1991. The experience of the transplant was so powerful to Shelby that he started the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation to help children in need of organ transplants.

Carroll Shelby was truly a legendary figure, and he will absolutely be missed.
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rum4 · May 11, 2012

RIP Mr Shelby

minimark · May 11, 2012

RIP and God Bless Carroll, what a life he led....

Crashton · May 11, 2012

RIP Carroll, you brought the world many great things & we thank you.

God speed....

Mr. Jim · May 11, 2012

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/05/auto-legend-carroll-shelby-father-of-cobra-dies/1

RIP Carroll

JMC40 · May 11, 2012

RIP Mr. Shelby...

CHKMINI · May 11, 2012

A true legend....God Speed Mr. Shelby.

Jason Montague · May 12, 2012

:cornut: Thanks Steve for posting this. "The candle burned out long before the legend ever did...................." The Cobra, Ford GT, Shelby Cobra GTs 250 and 500. Carol Shelby an automotive, racing, Texas giant. You'll be sorely missed Sir.

God Bless,
Jason

Steve · May 12, 2012

When someone like Carroll Shelby passes you realize just how overused is the word "legend". This guy was a true living legend. He'll be missed and remembered.

RIP Mr. Shelby.

ronnie948 · May 12, 2012

RIP Mr. Shelby

This is a person that will never be replaced in our car world.

He was one of a kind and a real gentleman.

N2MINI · May 12, 2012

Too many accomplisments to list.
He will be missed, but his name will continue on for years to come..

Steve · May 17, 2012

How Carroll Shelby And A Gang Of Nerds Beat Enzo Ferrari (Jalopnik.com)

By Mike Spinelli | May 17, 2012 12:00 PM

If you only know the late Carroll Shelby for his tuner cars, you're missing an amazing story of how, during the mid-1960s, his little, nerd-filled race shop in Los Angeles helped Henry Ford II exercise his famous vendetta against Enzo Ferrari. Playboy editor A.J. Baime tells that story in his book, Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans.

Here's an excerpt from Baime's book that picks up from the day Shelby American assumed responsibility for building Ford's racing sports cars, just about one year out from the company's 1-2-3 victory upset at Le Mans:

...
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Read the full story and excerpt at Jalopnik, here.

Johngo · May 17, 2012

A friend of mine put it best... 'God Speed' now has a whole new meaning in heaven.

Here is a shot of my dad with Carrol at Road Atlanta. Another legend who was pretty down to earth.

Rest in peace, sir.

Way Motor Works · May 17, 2012

RIP

I had the privilege to meet Carroll in 2007. It is something I will never forget. I have some the highest respect for him as Person and business man. The automotive world has lost a legend that will never be again. I hope to be more like him and be the Shelby of MINI's someday.

Favorite quote from him:
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery Live Today.

Steve · May 18, 2012

I didn't know he was an F1 driver.

PIC OF THE WEEK: SHELBY BEYOND THE COBRA (PistonHeads.com)

Friday 18th May

Why Carroll Shelby was more than just a race car constructor

With the sad news of motoring legend Carroll Shelby's death last week, the chat and tributes to the great man have - probably rightly - focussed on his work with Cobras and Mustangs.

But Shelby wasn't just a car constructor, he was also a racer. As this picture - taken during the 1958 British Grand Prix - proves, he had a fair bit of natural car control, too.

Shelby wasn't a hugely successful F1 driver - he only made eight GP starts, and this picture captures him on the way to ninth place in the non-works Scuderia Centro Sud Maserati 250F (his best GP result was a fourth in Italy). But the very fact he was there, mixing it with the likes of Moss, von Trips et al, makes him even more of a legend to our minds.
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N2MINI · May 18, 2012

Believe it or not, about half the people in the Cobra kit car world don't like him at all.. Shelby sued some of the manufacturers for using his carbody likness.. He lost each time, though was able to make them stop using the names, Shelby, Cobra, GT-40, Daytona, and Ford won the rights to the names, Cobra, GT-350, GT-500, maybe some others.. Hence some of the reasons why him and Ford weren't friends there for awhile. After getting back together awhile back they both use the names in some kind of agreement...
There is only 1 "kit car" manufactuer that is licensed and able to use his names..

I say if it wasn't for him they wouldn't have a car to be copying!!!

Steve · May 20, 2012

Carroll Shelby â€˜King of the Roadâ€™ Miniseries Starts Today on Velocity Channel (AutoGuide.com)

Jason Siu | May 20, 12:01 PM

Carroll Shelbyâ€™s passing rocked the automotive world, a man that was peerless in his automotive ingenuity and passion for motorsports.

To celebrate his life, Velocity Channel will be airing a three-part miniseries starting today and will continue to air it through June 1st, in case you canâ€™t sit in front of the tube tonight. The Discovery Network spinoff channel will take a deeper look at Shelbyâ€™s extensive life and how he was such a huge influence to Fordâ€˜s development over the years.

The first episode focuses on Shelbyâ€™s LeMans victory and the early years of the AC Cobra development, which is one of the most coveted high-performance cars of all time. The second showing will take a look into the partnership with American automaker Ford and how the original Mustang GT 350 came to life. The last of the miniseries covers Shelbyâ€™s most recent collaboration with Ford and focuses on the new Shelby GT 500, which will most undoubtedly become a collectorâ€™s car now.

The three-part miniseries begins at 8:00pm local time and you can hit the source link to see other dates and times itâ€™ll be aired.

[Source: Velocity Channel]
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Nathan · Jun 4, 2012

Shelby's co driver in the 59 Le Mans win, Roy Salvadori, passes at 90

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