The Supercar Registry - Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

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Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

For those of you looking for a compelling read while sitting behind your collector car at a show this summer look no further. Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

http://s17.postimage.org/w0h82cxgf/Shelby.jpg

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Do you think he'll sue the publisher for using his name on the title?

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 442w30</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do you think he'll sue the publisher for using his name on the title? </div></div>

No.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Unless he thinks he can win.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

A better read might be "The Unauthorized Biography."

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rubbinisracing</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A better read might be "The Unauthorized Biography." </div></div>

Have at it, I hope your lawyers are on standby LOL. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/eek.gif[/img]

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

So why do we bash ol'Shel? What did he do that makes people start firing away within a post or two?

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

I'm a member of the Shelby club that was started by Shelby fans. They were instrumental in making Shelby cars as collectable as they are today. Shelby did a hostile takeover of the club several years ago. Basically the club ran out of money to defend themselves. My impression is he would do a hostile takeover of anything he thought he could win. I have bumper stickers that say "Honk if you are being sued by Carroll". I'm not sure I have ever heard what a great guy he is. I have two of his cars but don't care for the guy as a human being. A few years ago I think it was said that almost none of his Children's foundation money had ever gone to the children. Alot of it went to overhead, airline flights etc. He said he was saving it up so there would be a big enough fund to where it would be self supporting. I hope that is true. If he does that for the kids I will feel differently about him.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

I have owned and enjoyed several of his '60s cars over the years. In fact, I just got an original black '66 GT350. I did help support the club in it's legal battle - so I'm not a huge fan of Carroll's (that fact probably doesn't keep him up at night). He has, however, accomplished a lot in life, both on and off of the track, and this book is a good read. One of the reasons that his cars are so collectable is because of the <span style="text-decoration: underline">public</span> Shelby Registry. Have I ever mentioned that we should consider doing that for COPOs?

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Interesting. Sounds like he is a hard-nosed businessman who protects his (very valuable) name against real or perceived damage and/or unauthorized profiteering? What did Shelby claim the club was doing that he needed to sue over? (Please attach a link to any previous threads if this has been hashed over before.) As for the foundation, I read years ago that much of the United Way's money also goes to corporate jets, expensive executives, overhead, etc. Probably a great way to make money while evading harsh scrutiny. I did get to stand there and take pictures for Xplantdad (Bruce) while he introduced his daughter to Mr. Shelby at B-J 2007 and it was awesome standing that close to automotive greatness. I first learned what a Shelby was when I was a 6-year old kid and my dentist bought a new '68 GT350 (white, blue rocker stripes, no over-car stripes, mag wheelcovers) so having Mr. Shelby walk up and stand a foot away was pretty cool.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Bill,

Yes it was..

Can anyoe offer proof that the Children's Foundation isn't getting any money? I can send an email to my contact at the foundation for their take on this...

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

I donated significant money to The Shelby club to fight Shelbys stealing of the Club. He had the most money and managed to steal the club. 33 years in the making and Shelby comes and takes it.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

I never understood why everyone deified Shelby. He never gave a damn about the cars, he wanted to get paid. Good for him and all, but let's not pretend he's some sort of hero.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: old5.0</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I never understood why everyone deified Shelby. He never gave a damn about the cars, he wanted to get paid.</div></div>

X2

I respect wanting to get paid, we all do. But, I don't appreciate bullies. The club carried the banner for those cars for along time without his help. In the end he swooped in and took it.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Wow...that really sucks...

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Thanks for the links Charley. Interesting. Looks like Shelby doesn't like anyone making a buck, no matter how small, on his name.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

word is from respected insiders approx 10% gets to the kids. 2 sides to any debate. With out Shelby there would be no cars thus collections or even careers made on his marque. The second is the enthusiasts provided the destiny and longevity thus provided him with the long time career. I am of the latter school. He was a promoter and a good one at that. Carroll also was good at selecting the right people at the right time like many good promoters and sales people. From personal experience he is a "slow pay" and has always been known for this over zealous projections that lead to the little guy holding the bag at times.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 427TJ</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Interesting. Sounds like he is a hard-nosed businessman who protects his (very valuable) name against real or perceived damage and/or unauthorized profiteering? What did Shelby claim the club was doing that he needed to sue over? (Please attach a link to any previous threads if this has been hashed over before.) As for the foundation, I read years ago that much of the United Way's money also goes to corporate jets, expensive executives, overhead, etc. Probably a great way to make money while evading harsh scrutiny. I did get to stand there and take pictures for Xplantdad (Bruce) while he introduced his daughter to Mr. Shelby at B-J 2007 and it was awesome standing that close to automotive greatness. I first learned what a Shelby was when I was a 6-year old kid and my
dentist bought a new '68 GT350 (white, blue rocker stripes, no over-car stripes, mag wheelcovers) so having Mr. Shelby walk up and stand a foot away was pretty cool.

</div></div>

When my son Michael was fighting his leukemia, my boss, Paul Andrews laid the groundwork with Carroll to help us. One night in 1999 the phone rang. The caller asked for Mich-all with his trademark accent. It was Carroll who chatted for 20 minutes offering encouragement and joking about all the "extra parts" he was running on. A week later a large check arrived from his foundation and he called to make sure we received it.

Today, Paul has 8 Cobras and is close to Carroll and Michael is in heaven looking down, I'm sure, still grateful for those words that night. I still am and think he was a great man all along.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Definitely 2 sides to every story!

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bergy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Definitely 2 sides to every story! </div></div>

Yep.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Jeff, when Mr. Shelby walked over to meet Xplantdad's daughter Holly at B-J '07 he put his hand on Holly's shoulder and said, in his Texas drawl, "Hi Holly, which one?" (Which organ did you have replaced.) It was like two old war veterans meeting--two old war vets who speak a common language from common experience. I'm a bit of a sentimental type and it was touching to see the two of them interact for a couple of minutes. That's so sad about your son Jeff. I don't know what I would do...

Tibor would call me a "bleeding heart." In this case, yes.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Bill it was cool.

Also, When Holly was 6 months old, we got a poster from Carroll autographed with a note. His neighbor was a friend of my oldest sister. They started the chili cookoffs together... [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Wow!! It appears your blanket statement should be reconsidered. From the sounds of it he's been a hero to many.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: old5.0</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Good for him and all, but let's not pretend he's some sort of hero. </div></div>

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Ask the founders of the Shelby club that he stole if he is a hero. I'm glad he is apparently doing some good things but it does not excuse any of the bad things.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 69hurstSC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wow!! It appears your blanket statement should be reconsidered. From the sounds of it he's been a hero to many.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: old5.0</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Good for him and all, but let's not pretend he's some sort of hero. </div></div> </div></div>

You're right, that was a very broad statement. I have no intention to retract it, but I will clarify it.

I have not and will not speak to Shelby's charity efforts because, simply, I know nothing about them. Others have raised concerns, and that's their prerogative. I do, on the other hand, have strong opinions on his treatment of enthusiast groups (i.e. SAAC), to whom the man owes at least a modicum of gratitude.

Eber and Kopec worked for years creating the sort of documentation framework that most owner groups ask Santa to bring them for Christmas. But the efforts of the club with regard to the vintage cars is well documented, and won't be repeated here. There is, however, more to the story.

I feel with absolute conviction that the current horsepower race, as well as the state of modern "street car" drag racing is directly attributable to the 5.0 Mustang. I'm sure many will disagree, and that's fine, but I feel the facts back it up. In it's heyday, it was a grassroots movement without equal, before or since, and it was nurtured to life by a relatively small group of street racers, magazine writers, and factory engineers, a few of whom had cut their teeth street racing on Woodward Ave. And, whether by extraordinary foresight or sheer dumb luck, SAAC was right in the middle of the growing maelstrom. I remember, as a car obsessed high schooler, recognizing and appreciating the connection between Shelby and the SAAC cars. And I have no doubt that more than a handful of young guys like myself were drawn to learn more about SAAC, and by extension Shelby, after watching SAAC XD-1 make yet another 8 second, 170+ mph pass in Pro5.0 competition.

While all of the above was happening, Carroll was... doing what, exactly? And now, 20 years later, we seem to have come full circle. Shelby is selling cars whose existence is due, in large part, to a very small group of individuals with the vision to know a good thing when they saw it, of whom Eber and Kopec were were two. The 2005-present Shelby GT500s are incredible cars, but they would have been equally incredible had they simply remained SVT Cobras.

I'll reiterate my statement. Carroll never cared about cars; Carroll cared about making money. I don't begrudge the man a dime of it; indeed, if I can achieve a quarter of what he has in the world of business, I'll consider my life a success. In the 60's, he saw an opportunity and struck while the iron was hot, and I admire him for that. But, insofar as we all love cars for what they are (even though we all have our favorites), I don't believe Carroll was ever "one of us".

Bergy was correct in his observation that there are two sides to every story. My side is that Shelby's treatment of SAAC was shabby at best. Carroll built the cars, but SAAC kept his legacy and name relevant years after the last vintage Shelby Mustang was sold, much as this club has done for the Yenko cars. And we haven't even delved into the "lost" CSX4000 cars.

No, I'll stand by my statement. As far as his automotive exploits go, particularly over the past quarter century, he's no hero.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Say what you want, but I doubt anyone would do anything differently. It's no different than Microsoft, Google or whomever protecting their rights or image. It's just business.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: L72copocamaro</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> It's no different than Microsoft, Google or whomever protecting their rights or image. It's just business. </div></div>

And when practiced at a high level it if often very mean and nasty. Not to defend Shelby, but ruthless businessmen do it 'better' than the rest. They smell the money--gains and losses--and act accordingly. I wonder if Shelby saw possible legal exposure with the SAAC? Maybe the SAAC was vulnerable, and thus Shelby saw himself as vulnerable to possible litigation/financial loss? Perhaps Shelby was advised to take over the SAAC and reduce his risk of potential litigation?

As for the 5.0, I bought a new '87 LX at Hayward Ford upon getting my USAF commission. The exhaust note was so sweet and then I drove it. Man, what a thrill after all those years of CRAPPY American "muscle" cars. I put the AC on high and it pulled a steep hill by the dealership with three adults onboard, going up there like a raped ape. All that and 25 mpg highway? Sold.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

I hadn't thought about the liability aspect. That would certainly be a good reason. As for the 5.0's, there is no doubt that Ford through down the gauntlet when they came out with it. It was a great little package and caught the rest off guard; kind of like 1964.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

I bought a used 1990 LX 5.0 hatch in college and it was one of the most fun cars i've ever had. It took a serious beating. I put over 100,000k on it and street raced it every weekend. I also had 3 apart big block Chevys and 4 Muncie transmissions in the hatch area at one point in time when I bought some stuff while in college and had no truck. The car drove like nothing was back there.

As for Carroll Shelby, not a fan of what he did to the club members. They literally preserved and continued his legacy. If it wasn't for them, he wouldn't be as recognized as he is today.

I compare Shelby and the club members to the people trying to preserve the Harrell heritage and Valerie getting in the way.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

I cut them a little slack, which I know isn't popular. If you had a name that other people made money on (and still others tried to make money on) you might be a little particular as to who got to make money off of your good name and who didn't. Remember, the Shelby cars came before the club, regardless of how good-hearted the people who started the club were and how pure their intentions were. Not trying to start an Internet argument, just (lightly) defending the unpopular point of view, namely Shelby's and Harrell's wish to control their name and its value. In business it's called defending your brand.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Oh man, that's too bad. Had a great life and one hell of a run. Thanks Shel.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

A kind and gentle man leaving a profound automotive and giving legacy.
Rest in peace my Cobra friend.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

The essence of the Shelby Legacy will resonate in this business for years to come.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

(Posted 5/12, 7:00 p.m.) Detroit. I am not going to rehash the story of Carroll Shelby, as that has been accomplished from all angles in the last few days. No saint by any means – thank goodness – and a larger-than-life Texas character, Carroll Shelby will be inextricably linked with the golden era of American road racing until the end of time. As it should be.

The essence of the Shelby Legacy to me is what Shelby and his band of California hot-rodding geniuses accomplished. It is simply mind-boggling to contemplate and a singular achievement that will stand the test of time. The birth of the Cobra and the subsequent five-year run of triumphs by Shelby American on the world racing stage will never be repeated or recreated in this era of ROI racing and corporate political hand-wringing.

How can it be? The time of Shelby and the rise of the Cobra represented such a different time and a different era for this country that there is no scenario that could be put together today that would even come close to it. This country was still very much on an upward trajectory, and the burning question back then was “Why not?” as opposed to today’s too-often-heard refrain of “Why bother?”

And the way things fell into place for Shelby was simply magical.

Think about it. Shelby was a retired race driver who really had nothing much else going on, except that he had an idea. And that idea was to stuff an American V8 into a lightweight foreign sports car chassis, thinking that he would be able to show the established powers that be in sports car racing a thing or three. That meant Ferrari – because Enzo had treated Shelby with such condescension back in Shelby’s driving days that he never forgot it – and Chevrolet and its Corvette, because Shelby gave GM first crack at his idea but was dismissed, being told Chevrolet would never authorize a competitor to the Corvette.

Brashly carrying that basic idea around with him like a crucible of hope, Shelby then heard that Ford had developed a new lightweight V8 with tremendous performance potential. And to say that the rest was history, glosses over the greatest era in American racing history.

There was absolutely zero chance that the Shelby Cobra would arrive meekly on the American scene. It was not only immediately the fastest sports car in America, it was an instant, in-your-face humiliation to Chevrolet, thanks to the fact that it was hundreds of pounds lighter than the now oh-so-stodgy Corvette.

But the Cobra was much more than that. There was an air of edgy, anti-establishment defiance about it that was simply unmistakable and that reflected back directly to Shelby himself, the black-hatted Texan who made a career out of operating on the edges of acceptability. I’m not so sure Ford really understood what they were getting themselves into, but when it became clear that Shelby’s hot little Cobra was the instant buzz of the automotive world, they didn’t spend much time hand-wringing about it.

And Ford deserves a lot of credit here. This was a company that committed to its “Total Performance” marketing campaign throughout most of the 60s and achieved victories around the world in virtually every major racing arena. They wanted to bury the once-conservative image of the company once and for all, and they did it in magnificent fashion. But perhaps the company’s greatest achievement during that era was that they let Carroll Shelby and his gang of racing iconoclasts do their thing.

Back to Shelby and that five-year period of momentous achievement. He relegated the Corvette to second-tier status literally overnight, both at the racetrack and on the street. GM’s Zora Arkus-Duntov had to come up with the incredible lightweight Corvette Grand Sport racers to counteract the Cobra but by then it was too late, because the racing world was about to make its wholesale shift to mid-engine racing cars. And Shelby repeatedly humiliated Ferrari on its home turf, racking up race wins at prestigious events all over Europe, until Shelby American became the only American racing organization in history to score a World Championship in sports car racing.

The fact that Shelby did it with his merry band of California hot-rodders and the best homegrown driving talent in American history made it all that much sweeter. It just can’t be stated enough: theirs was a singular achievement that will remain in the pantheon of great automotive performances for all time.

It may be sacrilege to some for me to say this, but what Shelby achieved after that (separating his car forays from his notable charitable contributions, of course) really didn’t come close to the achievements of that magnificent era, but then again, how could it?

And Shelby was careful – at least in his later years – to acknowledge that he had the pure luck to have some of the most talented people working with him in American racing history. That wasn’t always the case of course, unfortunately. The glowing remembrances upon his passing left an awful lot out, and for years it was no secret that Shelby left a bitter taste in the mouths of a lot of those talented individuals who contributed to his legacy, because not surprisingly, it was always about Carroll. But he made peace with his compatriots in due fashion, so there’s no need to dwell on it now.

What Shelby and his team were able to accomplish began with the fundamental and indelible concepts of creativity, ingenuity, dedication and perseverance. There were no shortcuts involved. Rather, it was a relentless desire to push the envelope as far as it would go and then go even further than that. And never, ever quit.

As I pointed out last week, success in this business will continue to be defined by the True Believers, those talented men and women in product development, engineering and design who actually are involved with making automobiles as great as they possibly can be on a day-in, day-out basis.

(The financial types can’t do it - in fact, they were never meant to do it. It’s just that too many in this business have lost sight of that fact or don’t want to ascribe to the reality of that statement. But it’s a High-Octane Truth that will remain self-evident in this business indefinitely.)

As for those True Believers in this business actually charged with the responsibility of making great cars, they need to only look as far as the original True Believers – the quintessential “maverick” Carroll Shelby and his heroic collection of hot-rodder geniuses – for inspiration.

They did it their way.

And they did it with a passion and dedication that I believe will resonate in this business for many years to come.

It’s the Carroll Shelby Legacy that I prefer to remember the most, and the one that will last the longest.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

That was great, I enjoyed it. Great men often times have great flaws.

Re: Carroll Shelby - The Authorized Biography

Speed Channel ran the Dave Despain interview with Shelby last night. I caught the 2nd half and it was pretty interesting.

Jake