Often described as “larger than life,” automotive industry legend Carroll Shelby has enjoyed unsurpassed success as a racecar driver, team manager and team owner, as well as an innovative automobile designer and the creator and manufacturer of the legendary “Cobra” cars.
Prior to his famed automotive career, Shelby enlisted in the US Army Air Corps, serving in World War II as a flight instructor and test pilot. After this, he worked tirelessly as a chicken farmer and it was during this time that he was invited to participate in an amateur race by a friend.
For Shelby, it was the start of a long, fruitful love affair, evoking a passion so strong that he went on to claim numerous victories as a professional racer. In fact, during his professional racing career, he drove for Cad-Allard, Aston Martin, and Maserati teams during the 1950s, and then driving auto giant Donald Healey, he set 16 US and international speed records behind the wheel of an Austin-Healey. He later partnered with Roy Salvadori, and drove for Aston Martin, winning the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. He also competed in Formula One from 1958 to 1959, participating in a total of eight World Championship races and several non-championship races.
Shelby’s beginning
From a humble start as a chicken farmer in 1949, Shelby came back from a devastating bankruptcy after his second group of chickens died of Limberneck disease, and went on to set class records, even winning the Torrey Pines race in 1955 with a 4.1-liter Mexico Ferrari. Shelby’s performance in this race caught the eye Tony Paravano who asked Shelby to race his new 4.9-liter 12-cylinder Ferrari. Shelby drove the car to victory, winning the race and the hearts of race fans worldwide.
Shelby was subsequently asked to go to Europe to race, where he thrived, leading him to be named Sports Illustrated’s Sports Car Driver of the Year in both 1956 and 1957.
Shelby celebrated his newfound racing success by opening Carroll Shelby Sports Cars in Dallas, Texas, joining forces with Texas oilman Dick Hall (whose brother Jim Hall built the Chaparral cars) to finance the first dealership, which he opened early in 1957.
That same year, Shelby drove a double-overhead-camshaft V8 Maserati single-seat to victory at the 100-mile race at Riverside. Fellow racers and spectators were astounded when Shelby spun-out after the first lap, after which he made a grand comeback and lapped the other drivers.
It was after this that Carroll co-drove the Aston Martin DBR1/300 with Ray Salvadori and the two took the trophy, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a famous sports car endurance race that began in the early 1920s and which has been held every year since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. The race is held on a circuit containing closed public roads, gauging the racecar and the driver’s skills over a grueling 24-hour period.
Shortly thereafter in 1960, Carroll began his last racing season in a Maserati 250F Formula One Grand Prix car formerly driven by Fangio at Rheims in 1958.
Sadly, not long after, Shelby began experiencing serious health problems and was dealt a series of personal setbacks. Determined to put his best foot forward, Shelby subsequently opened his Goodyear Racing Tire distributorship and then drove a Scarab to first place at Continental Divide Raceways. He broke a course record set his sights on the USAC driving championship.
Then, just before Christmas in 1960, Shelby competed in his last race, the Third Annual Los Angeles Times-Mirror Grand Prix, driving a Type 61 Birdcage Maserati, and finishing fifth. Shelby won the 1960 USAC driving championship and retired from racing, opening the Shelby School of High Performance Driving in 1961.
Later that same year, when AC Cars of Thames Ditton, England, parted with the manufacturer for its six-cylinder Bristol engine, which was created for its sporty two-seat roadster, a savvy Shelby sent a proposal to the company which detailed the building of a chassis for a special Shelby sports car to be powered by an American V8.
At this time, he still knew nothing of the soon-to-be debuted lightweight, small-block Ford V8; however, he did find out about the Ford’s new 221-cube Ford and quickly contacted Dave Evans with his ideas about the Shelby car and his need for a V8 engine for sports car.
The Cobra is born
On Feb. 2 1962, the first 260 Roadster (without the engine and transmission) was delivered to Shelby's Southern California. Not yet named, Shelby has always maintained that he had a dream about the name “Cobra” and woke to write it on a pad he kept by his bed to record ideas. As he put it: “The next morning when I looked at the name 'Cobra,' I knew it was right."
And later that same day, a 260 HiPo and Borg-Warner four-speed were installed and Shelby and friend Dean Moon test-drove the new Cobra.
Within a month, Shelby-American begins operations.
Ford enters the picture
Shelby wisely recruited Ray Geddes, a Ford finance business school graduate, and brought him onboard to coordinate a partnership with Ford, with the goal being to keep Ford’s involvement in creating the Shelby Cobra out of the spotlight.
The first Shelby Cobra was created and was the fastest production car to date, capable of going 0-60 in 3.9 seconds.
This first Cobra turned heads and got the nod of approval from even the most discriminating car aficionados, and after displaying it in the dedicated Ford area at the New York Auto Show, dealers started placing orders for the Cobra and Shelby-American takes off.
The media took note in May 1962 Sports Car Graphic magazine describes the Cobra’s acceleration as “explosive.”
The second Cobra is built
The CSX 2001, the second Cobra built, is shipped by air from England (minus engine, transmission, and this time rear end, as well) to New York and was sent to Shelby at his Southern California manufacturing facility, where it was shaped and molded into the first competition Cobra.
Shelby had the CSX 2000 repainted a different color each time a different magazine test-drives it, making it seem to the world that Shelby is in the process of producing multiple cars. But something else has piqued the interest of the car industry.
The Cobra takes to the races
Shelby-American enters the Cobra in its first race, the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix. The Cobra has problems with its rear hub and does not finish; however, the real winning news is that the Cobra proves to be lighter and faster than the new Corvette Stingray.
This is no small victory and the team at Shelby-American quietly celebrates this, as they get right to work crafting stronger rear hubs for the head-turning Cobra.
Then, the following January, Cobras take first and second place at Riverside, defeating the Corvette Stingrays in 1963.
The next month, Shelby-American arrives at Daytona for its first international competition. The Ferrari GTO triumphs, and after Daytona, Chevrolet drops out of racing.
In June that same year, Shelby-American completes its first 125 Cobras.
The Daytona Coupe project
Just a few months after the production of the first Cobras, Shelby launched a new project, the Daytona Coupe. Then, right on the heels of this, the first Cooper Monacos -King Cobra are ordered and Dan Gurney becomes the first American driver to win an FIA race in an American car, proudly driving a Cobra to triumph in the Bridgehampton 500KM.
However, just two months later, the Cobra is unable to beat the Ferrari in international competition, but it clearly outdoes the Corvette and wins the SCCA A-production national championship.
The Cobra begins to dominate
The following month, in December, the Shelby Cobra wins the USRRC (United States Road Racing Championship).
Then, in March 1964, Shelby enters the 427-engined leaf-spring Cobra, CSX 2166, at Sebring in the prototype class and finally beats the Ferrari GTOs. Following this victory, Shelby meets with the Hurlock Brothers from AC Cars and Ford design engineer Klaus Arning to develop a big-block Cobra.
After Sebring, Cobra led Ferrari in FIA points for the GT III championship, and Shelby-American decides to go to Europe to race. The Cobras and Ford's new GT-40 are tested at Le Mans. Later, on April 26, the Cobra competes at the Targa Floria. Surprisingly enough, the new Porsche 904s triumph over Ferrari, followed by the Cobra.
Just two months later, the Cobras claim victory at the largest race in Europe, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Cobra is fourth overall and first in GT, defeating Ferrari.
Fresh off this win, Ford asks Shelby to develop a high-performance Mustang fastback for street and track. The new car would challenge the Corvette in SCCA B-production road racing. The Cobras score big in Europe at the Freiburg Hill climb in the Black Forest, at the Tourist Trophy in Goodwood, England, and at the Sierre-Montana Grand Prix De La Montagne in the Swiss Alps.
Shelby Mustangs take to the road, alongside the 427 Cobra
Within a month, the first '65 Shelby Mustang GT350 race cars and street cars are built, then within the next 30 days, the prototype 427 Cobra, still officially under development at the time, is tested at Silverstone in England and later in the US.
By November 1964, Shelby-American completed the 427 Cobra prototype; however the real news at the time is this: The 289 Cobra Roadster again won the SCCA A-production national championship.
About this same time, the SCCA accepts the GT350 in the B-production road racing class, as cars are being completed at the Venice, California shop of Shelby-American. Enzo Ferrari holds his annual press conference and announces he will not contest the GT III championship without his LM Ferrari, in effect, giving no factory Ferrari competition to the Cobra team for the upcoming 1965 FIA season.
At the beginning of the following year, the 427 Cobra, featuring a tube frame, aluminum body, and coil spring chassis, is unveiled at a press introduction at Riverside International Raceway.
Under Shelby’s care, the Ford GT makes a comeback
Also during January, Shelby-American begins its move to Los Angeles International Airport facility and Ford turns its GT-40 project over to Shelby-American and the awaited 1965 GT350 debuts.
With Shelby handling the racing program, Ford's GT-40 (painted in Shelby Guardsman Blue with two white stripes) wins its first race at Daytona. During this time, The Shelby Mustang GT350 also wins its first race and Shelby-American begins production of its Ferrari-beating missile, the coupe version of the 427 Cobra Roadster.
At Daytona, the Cobra Daytona Coupe is first in the GT class.
Shortly thereafter, production of the GT350 moves to Los Angeles International Airport after the first 250 cars are completed. The GT-40 Mark II (427 big-block) is under development, while the Cobra Daytona Coupe takes first overall in the Sebring 12-Hours.
The Cobra team then flies to Europe to continue its winning season. With team Ferrari out of the picture, Shelby-American dominates. Bondurant and Grant are first at Monza, Italy, in the Daytona Coupe. Meanwhile, the FIA denies the 427 Cobra certification because 100 cars are not complete.
But, not all is grim. The first 427 street Cobra is finally finished.
Shelby-American and Ford stage an assault on Le Mans with two 427 GT-40 Mark IIs, four 289 GT-40 Mark Is, and five Cobra Daytona Coupes. The GT-40s all drop out, while one Daytona Coupe finishes.
The next month, Shelby-American, racing Cobras at the 12 Heures De Reims in France, scores enough points to assure the FIA World Championship of GT cars, wrestling the title virtually owned by Ferrari for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, the Paxton supercharger GT350 prototype is completed.
Also during this time, the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, the only American car ever to win the FIA World's Manufacturer's Championship for GT cars, dominates Europe's best, passing the Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, and Aston Martin.
Competition Cobras delight a select few, Shelby Fastbacks stage comeback
Production of the '66 GT350 begins in August 1965 and the first 15 competition 427 Cobras are delivered to customers for SCCA A-production racing.
On its heels, the brand-new '66 GT350 Shelby Fastbacks go on sale, and Shelby-American proposes a special Hertz racer. A prototype GT350H is built.
Hertz handpicks Shelby
Hertz likes the GT350H and gives Shelby-American a contract for 200 cars. The FIA certifies the 427 for the 1966 racing season, and the '66 GT350 again wins the national B-production road racing championship in the SCCA. Because of this, Hertz ups its contract for GT350H models to 1000 units by year’s end.
The Ford GT-40 Mark II then wins at Daytona in February, and Shelby-American builds a Mustang notchback prototype for the brand-new Trans-Am racing series.
In June 1966, Henry Ford II witnesses the trio of GT-40 Mark IIs cross the finish line at Le Mans, 1-2-3 and the specifications for the '67 GT350 and new GT500 are completed.
In November 1966, the first of the '67 Shelby GT350s and GT500s are delivered to dealers nationwide.
Construction of the Cougar-Cobra complete, Shelby Mustang joins line-up
By March 1967, the last 427 Cobra Roadster is built and in June 1967, Ford again wins at Le Mans with its Mark IV GT-40. Later that year, Shelby-American takes the '67 Trans-Am Manufacturer's title for Ford. Following this, Shelby-American completes construction of a Cougar-Cobra Can-Am racing car.
Then, in November, Shelby-American racing moves to Torrance, California, as production on the '68 Shelby begins and the '68 Shelby Mustang convertible joins the head-turning lineup.
A seasoned Shelby: from cars to chili?
In true Shelby style, he holds his first Chill cook-off, not knowing he was starting an annual tradition, which continues today. About this same time, the '69 Shelby GTs are finalized and, once again, a GT-40 takes first place at Le Mans.
Just prior to opening a Ford dealership in Lake Tahoe California, Shelby sells the last brand-new 427 Cobra Roadster and the only Lone Star is offered for sale for $15,000, the price it was to retail for if it had made production.
Shelby takes final Ford victory, ties severed
In late 1968, production for the 1969-model year Shelby Mustang production begins and in May 1969, at Lime Rock, in the Trans-Am racing series, a Shelby takes the company’s last Ford victory. However, by September, the Shelby Mustang project is ended as sales slow dramatically. The leftover '69 models are updated to '70 specifications and production concludes.
In October 1969, once again at Riverside, in the Trans-Am, Shelby fields his last Ford team racecar and in December 1969, the Shelby Automotive Racing Company closes. Then, just four months later, In February 1970, Ford ended its long-term racing agreement with Carroll Shelby.
Ready, set, go: Shelby-American Automobile Club is launched
In early 1973, the Shelby-Dowd Wheel Company is started and in late 1975, the Shelby-American Automobile Club (SAAC) is started.
On a weekend in late August 1976, the first annual convention of the Shelby Automobile Club of America is held in Oakland, California. About 600 people attend. It's the first time since the Sixties that Shelby gets together with his team drivers
Shelby and Chrysler join forces
In October 1982, Shelby contracted with Chrysler to create performance cars based on Dodge products and by the next month, prototype Dodge Shelby Chargers are built and displayed.
Five years later, Shelby envisions and begins prototype work on a Dodge sports car, which later becomes the "Viper."
Shelby sues Ford
Then, in April 1988, Shelby sues Ford for using GT350 for its '84 Anniversary Mustang and in 1989 he produces the Cobra 427 S/C Competition Cars. Shelby also builds the first Viper chassis prototype about this same time.
1989 starts off with a bang as the Viper is first shown at the Detroit Automobile Show, with Shelby in attendance and looking on. But, by November 1989, Shelby began his 427 Cobra S/C project, continuing production of "leftover" S/C models from 1966.
And in March 1990, the lawsuit with Ford is resolved.
Shelby undergoes a heart transplant
In the summer of 1990, Shelby receives a heart transplant and less than a year later, he paces the Indy 500 in a Dodge Viper. Shelby’s doctors give his health a thumbs-up, confirming that is new heart is as strong as his renowned racing skills.
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