Shelby PT.1

This past Thursday, May 10, was the anniversary of the death of Carroll Shelby, the motorsport legend and famed designer of the AC Cobra and Mustang Cobra, both of which shared his name.

Shelby was born in Leesburg, Texas in 1923. His first experience with machines was supposed to be in college at Georgia School of Technology studying aeronautical engineering, but like so many men of his generation, he was enlisted to fight in World War II before his education could really begin. He joined the US Army Air Corps as a test pilot and flight instructor, and upon his discharge, he worked as oil-well roughneck and a poultry farmer.

Shelby moonlighted as an amateur race driver and borrowed a friend’s MG TC and Cad-Allard. The Allard’s small British frame and America V8 inspired Shelby’s creation of the original Cobra (Zora Arkus-Duntov was also inspired by the Allard during his work on the Corvette). He gained significant recognition driving the Allard, which led to stints as the team driver for Aston Martin and Maserati.

This early racing success eventually led to a spot driving for Donald Healey in his supercharged 100S, with which Shelby set 16 US and international speed records at Bonneville Salt Flats. But Shelby’s ultimate racing success was his victory at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans in an Aston Martin DBR1 with British co-driver Roy Salvadori.

Upon retiring from race driving due to lifelong health complications from a congenital heart defect, Shelby opened his Shelby American driving school and began importing the AC Shelby, his first British V8 sports car, which he had custom designed with AC motors in the UK. It was during this time that Shelby began his legendary partnership with Ford, and although this is the marquee with which he gained the most fame, he actually manufactured vehicles with several different American manufacturers over the years.

In next week’s entry, we’ll explore part two of Shelby’s historic career with an in-depth look at the many models that he had a hand in developing during his decades of influence in the American automotive industry.

-Trey Fennell

Shelby's First Race Car MG TC Coco #51 Black & Red