A passion for performance. A champion with an unquenchable desire to win. An American success story. These are among the descriptions earned by the legendary Carroll Shelby. He is an icon that embodies the ingenuity, tenacity and grit needed to win in business, competition and philanthropy. The Shelby name is synonymous with performance. It's a part of the man's DNA, which was molded and shaped during years of competition. His vision of the automobile changed the rules for automotive performance forever. Today, Carroll Shelby and the companies he founded are a driving force for products and industries worldwide. While his ability to race automobiles at exhilarating speeds has made Carroll Shelby one of the most prolific personalities in the automotive industry, that success did not happen overnight. A WWII aviator, Carroll began racing - and winning - in the mid-1950s.
His first race was at a drag strip in a 1932 Ford. Moving to road racing, he captured three national sports car championships in the United States, earned a spot on the Aston-Martin team in Europe, won international races that included a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and set land speed records at Bonneville. Twice, he was named Sports Car Illustrated's "Driver of the Year."
These wins led the charming, East Texas chicken farmer to a storied career that spanned the spectrum from driver to team owner, manufacturer and consultant. When Shelby's health caused him to abandon his driving in 1960, Carroll moved from the driver's seat and turned his attention manufacturing.
Shelby believed in combining big horsepower with inspired engineering, which led him to take Ford's new small block engine and shoehorn it into AC's lightweight Ace. Christened the Cobra, CSX 2000 was introduced at the New York Auto Show in 1962. This focus on pure performance turned the sports car world on its ear.
In 1963, Shelby took a team of Cobras to Europe to race against Ferrari, Porsche and Jaguar on their own turf. Superstars like Bob Bondurant, Dan Gurney, Ken Miles and others driving for Team Shelby captured the Grand Touring World Championship in 1965. Gurney and Bondurant returned the next year for Team Shelby to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ford GT40. The team repeated their Le Mans win in 1967. At the same time, Shelby's operations turned out the Shelby 289 and 427 Cobras, as well as a succession of Mustang based Shelbys.
Carroll Shelby is perhaps the only person to have worked at a visible level with all three of major American automobile manufacturers. His charisma, vision and ability to build teams have made him into a master organizer and leader. In 1992, Carroll Shelby was inducted in the Automotive Hall of Fame for his body of achievements.
While Shelby has earned countless automotive and racing victories and accolades, his greatest achievement might be the establishment of the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation™. Founded in 1992, the charity is dedicated to providing assistance for acute coronary and kidney care for indigent children.
From his fire breathing Cobras, Series 1 and Ford Shelby Mustangs to his involvement in the Viper and Ford GT, he has continued to push the performance envelope. And Carroll Shelby is still making automotive history with his new CSX4000 and CSX7000 Cobras. In 2006, he formed a new partnership with Ford Motor Company. Since then, the fantastic Shelby GT500, Shelby GT and Shelby GT500KR have moved him once again into the fast lane. His performance philosophy is as relevant and appealing to enthusiasts today as it was 45 years ago.
Some people design cars. Carroll Shelby and his Shelby Automobiles team breathe life and spirit into them.
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January 11, 1923
Carroll Hall Shelby is born in Leesburg, Texas.
November 1941
Shelby begins training at Lackland Air Force Base. As a flight instructor, he did not leave the U.S. during WW II.
August 1945
Shelby leaves the Air Corps for civilian life and starts a dump truck business in Dallas.
1949
Shelby goes into the chicken raising business but he goes bankrupt when his second group of chickens die of Limberneck disease.
January 1952
Shelby drives in his first race, a quarter-mile drag meet, behind the wheel of a hot rod with a flathead Ford V8.
May 1952
Shelby drives in his first road race behind the wheel of an MG-TC, taking first place.
November 1952
Shelby pilots a Cad-Allard to first place in an SCCA race.
August 1953
Carroll hurries to the track in his work coveralls from the farm. When his odd attire nets publicity, he sticks with the striped bib coveralls, which become his trademark.
January 1954
Aston Martin team manager John Wyer invites Shelby to co-drive an Aston -Martin DB3 at Sebring.
April 1954
Shelby drives an Aston-Martin DBR3 for Wyer, finishing second and leading to a co-driver spot with Aston-Martin at Le Mans in June 1954.
August 1954
Austin-Healey invites Shelby to help set 70 new Class D records at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
March 1955
Shelby co-drives a Monza Ferrari with Phil Hill at Sebring.
July 1955
Shelby wins the Torrey Pines race with a Mexico Ferrari. Tony Paravano asks Shelby to drive a new 12-cylinder Ferrari. Shelby wins in his first outing and is asked to go to Europe.
1956
Sports Illustrated names Shelby “Sports Car Driver of the Year.”
Early 1957
Carroll Shelby Sports Cars opens in Dallas.
March 1957
Sports Illustrated names Shelby "Driver of the Year."
June 1959
Co-driving an Aston Martin DBR1/300, Shelby wins the 24 Hours of LeMans.
February 1960
Shelby experiences chest pains and doctor incorrectly diagnoses the problem as unrelated to the heart. Shelby opens his Goodyear Racing Tire distributorship.
May 1960
Doctors diagnose Shelby's chest pains as "angina pectoralis," in which the coronary arteries are starved for blood.
June 27, 1960
Driving a Scarab to first place at Continental Divide Raceways, Shelby breaks a course record and sets his sights on the USAC driving championship.
December 3-4, 1960
Shelby competes in his last race and wins the USAC driving championship for 1960.
1961
Shelby opens the Shelby School of High Performance Driving.
September 1961
After learning that AC Cars in England has lost its source for engines for its two-seat roadster, Shelby proposes the company to keep building the chassis for a special Shelby sports car to be powered by an American V8.
October 1961
AC Cars expresses interest in Shelby's plan as long as a suitable engine is found. Shelby learns about Ford’s new 221ci small-block and dispatches a letter explaining his need for a V8.
February 1962
The first roadster body is air freighted to Shelby's shop in Southern California. Shelby has a dream revealing to him the name “Cobra” on the front of his car. A 260 and four-speed are installed in the chassis, and Shelby and friend Dean Moon test drive the new Cobra.
March 1962
Shelby-American begins operations in Venice, California.
April 1962
The first Cobra, CSX 2000, is painted pearlescent yellow and shipped to the New York Auto Show for the Ford display. Dealers begin ordering and Shelby-American commits to building its new Cobra.
May 1962
Shelby promotes his Cobra by offering test drives to the automotive press. CSX 2000 is repainted a different color each time a different magazine test drives it, giving the appearance of many cars in production. CSX 2002 is air freighted to Los Angeles and built into the first competition Cobra.
August 1962
The FIA homologates the Cobra in the more-than 2-liter class for the FIA Manufacturers' Championship.
October 13, 1962
Shelby-American enters the Cobra in its first race, but breaks a rear hub and does not finish.
January 1963
Dave MacDonald and Ken Miles drive Cobras to first and second place at Riverside, beating the Corvette Stingrays.
March 1963
Shelby-American enters four cars at Sebring an FIA race. Although driver Phil Hill sets the fastest GT lap, Ferraris win.
September 1963
Shelby begins the Daytona Coupe project to build a roadster with the aerodynamics necessary for 200mph down the Le Mans Mulsanne Straight. Cobra production passes 170. Dan Gurney wins at Bridgehampton in a Cobra to become the first American driver to win an FIA race in an American car.
November 1963
The Cobra wins the SCCA A-production national championship.
December 1963
The Cobra wins the United States Road Racing Championship.
February 1964
Shelby-American completes the first FIA roadster and the first Daytona Coupe.
March 1964
Shelby-American enters a 427-engined Cobra, CSX 2166, at Sebring in the prototype class. Cobras, for the first time, beat Ferrari GTOs. Shelby meets with AC Cars and Ford design engineer Klaus Arning to develop a big-block Cobra.
June 1964
Cobras win the GT class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, defeating Ferrari. A Cobra is fourth overall and first in GT.
August 1964
Ford asks Shelby to develop a high-performance Mustang fastback.
September 1964
The first '65 Shelby Mustang GT350 race and street cars are built.
October 1964
The prototype 427 Cobra is tested.
November 1964
427 Cobra prototype is completed. The 289 Cobra again wins the SCCA A-production national championship.
December 1964
The SCCA accepts the GT350 in the B-production road racing class.
January 1965
The 427 Cobra is officially introduced. Shelby-American begins its move to Los Angeles International Airport facility. Ford turns its GT-40 project over to Shelby-American. The ‘65 GT350 debuts.
February 1965
The GT-40 wins its first race, at Daytona. The Shelby GT350 also wins its first race. Shelby-American begins production of the 427 Cobra Roadster. The Daytona Coupe finishes first in the GT class at Daytona.
March 1965
Production of the GT350 moves to Los Angeles International Airport. The GT-40 Mark II (427 big-block) is under development. Cobra Daytona Coupe finishes first overall in the Sebring 12-Hours.
April 1965
First street 427 Cobra is finished, but the FIA denies the 427 Cobra certification because 100 cars are not finished.
May 1965
The first GT350 drag car is built.
July 4, 1965
Shelby-American scores enough points to assure the FIA World Championship of GT cars. The Paxton supercharger GT350 prototype is completed.
August 1965
Production of the '66 GT350 is underway. The first 15 competition 427 Cobras are delivered to customers for SCCA A-production racing.
October 1965
The '66 Shelby GT350s go on sale, and Shelby-American proposes a special Hertz racer.
November 1965
Hertz gives Shelby-American a contract for 200 GT350Hs. 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.
December 1965
Hertz ups its contract for GT350H models to 1,000 units.
February 1966
The Ford GT-40 Mark II wins at Daytona. Shelby-American builds a Mustang notchback prototype for the new Trans-Am racing series.
June 1966
GT-40 Mark IIs cross the finish line at Le Mans 1-2-3. The specifications for the '67 GT350 and new GT500 are finalized.
September 1966
1967 production begins. Ford wins the Trans-Am Manufacturer's title with Shelby-built Mustangs.
November 1966
First '67 GT350s and GT500s are delivered to dealers.
March 1967
The last 427 Cobra Roadster is built.
June 1967
Ford again wins at Le Mans with the GT-40.
August 1967
Shelby-American loses the lease on its LAX facility.
September 1967
Production of '68 Shelby Mustangs moves to the A.O. Smith Company in Michigan. The Lone Star, to be the successor to the Cobra, is constructed by John Wyer's JW Automotive Engineering.
October 1967
Shelby-American takes the '67 Trans-Am Manufacturer's title for Ford.
November 1967
Shelby-American racing moves to Torrance, California, The '68 Shelby convertible joins the lineup.
June 1968
The '69 Shelby GTs are finalized. Again, a GT-40 takes first place at Le Mans.
August 1968
The last brand-new 427 Cobra Roadster is sold by Shelby.
November 1968
The ‘69 Shelby Mustang production begins.
May 1969
At Lime Rock in the Trans-Am racing series, Sam Posey pilots a Shelby team car to the company's last Ford victory.
September 1969
The Shelby Mustang project ends. Leftover '69 models are updated to '70 specifications.
October 1969
In the Trans-Am, Shelby fields his last Ford team race car.
December 1969
Shelby Automotive Racing Company closes.
February 1970
Ford ends its long-term racing agreement with Shelby.
January 1973
The Shelby-Dowd Wheel Company is started.
October 1982
Shelby contracts with Chrysler to create performance cars based on Dodge products.
November 1982
Prototype Dodge Shelby Chargers are built and displayed.
1987
Shelby envisions and begins prototype work on a Dodge sports car, which later becomes the "Viper."
1989
Shelby produces the Cobra 427 S/C continuation cars. Shelby builds the first Viper chassis prototype.
January 1989
The Viper is first shown at the Detroit Automobile Show.
November 1989
Shelby begins his 427 Cobra S/C project, continuing production of "leftover" S/C models from 1966.
June 1990
Shelby receives a heart transplant.
September 1991
Shelby starts the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation to funds heart transplants for indignet children. Shelby inducted into International MotorSports Hall of Fame.
October 1, 1992
Shelby is elected to the Automotive Hall of Fame.
1995
Shelby produces CSX4000 Series 427 Cobra S/C Roadsters.
1997
Shelby designs and manufacturers the Shelby Series 1 sports car.
1999
Shelby Cobra CSX2000 named Motor Trend magazine's most significant car of the last 50 years.
Remake of the movie Gone in 60 Seconds uses a modified ’67 Shelby GT500 look-alike as the automotive star, “Eleanor.”
October 14, 2001
Shelby participates in Ford’s 100 Years of Racing Festival
January 4, 2003
Ford Shelby Cobra Concept revealed at North American Auto Show
2003
Shelby involved with development of new Ford GT
November 2004
Ford Shelby GR-1 concept introduced
March 23, 2005
Shelby GT500 introduced at New York International Auto Show
September 29, 2005
Convertible GT500 introduced
April 12, 2006
Ford, Shelby, and Hertz reveal new GT-H to celebrate 40th anniversary of the ’66 GT350
August 8, 2006
Shelby GT introduced
March 30, 2007
Shelby GT500KR introduced at an ’08 model
April 1, 2007
Shelby GT-H convertible introduced
June 7, 2007
Post-title Super Snake package offered for Shelby GT500s
June 13, 2007
Shelby GT convertible introduced
June 14, 2007
Shelby Automobiles and Scott Drake Enterprises announce Shelby Performance Parts Company
July 19, 2007
Shelby Terlingua Racing Team returns
Shelby Cobra CSX2000 named Motor Trend magazine's most significant car of the last 50 years.
