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Carroll Shelby, Automotive Icon, Dead At 89

 
7 3,920 views May 11, 2012
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Carroll Shelby at Ford Centennial

Carroll Shelby at Ford Centennial

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If you don't know who Carroll Shelby is, you might as well hang up your car enthusiast credentials right now, because they're no longer valid. Though his role in the American automotive industry has changed over the last several decades, he was an icon, a one-man brand. He died last night at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas. He was 89.

Shelby got his start in the car business after leaving the United States Army Air Corps, where he served during World War II as a test pilot and instructor. He soon began racing for teams like Aston Martin and Maserati. In 1959, Shelby won the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving an Aston Martin DBR1/300. He also set speed records and competed in Formula One (1958-1959).

By 1959, Shelby's leaking heart valve put him out of the driver's seat, but that was far from the end of the story. That year, he founded Shelby-American, and soon he had imported an AC Motors roadster, and stuffed a Ford V-8 into it, birthing the Cobra.


Carroll Shelby with 3 Cobra roadsters in 1963

Carroll Shelby with 3 Cobra roadsters in 1963

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Since then, his exploits have become very well-known indeed, including innumerable high-performance versions of the Ford Mustang, and other cars, including one of our personal favorites, the Dodge Omni-based Shelby GLH-S.

The company he founded, Shelby American, continues on, as will his name.

For all of us that love fast cars, driving them, and everything that goes with it: Farewell, Mr. Shelby. And thanks.





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Comments (7)

  1. Enzo avatar Enzo Rollis Posted: 5/11/2012 1:35pm PDT

    what a sad day, i thought he would have live to a 100. The mustang community and automotive world lost one hell of a legend R.I.P Shelby your legacy will live on.
     
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  2. fb_100002229542711 avatar Shelby Marden Posted: 5/11/2012 3:02pm PDT

    sad :'(
     
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  3. fb_100002229542711 avatar Shelby Marden Posted: 5/11/2012 3:03pm PDT

    :'(
     
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  4. indycarfan avatar indycarfan Posted: 5/11/2012 4:01pm PDT

    Shelby demonstrated the life long passionate desire to capitalize his connections, beginning as a chicken farmer to a creative automotive builder legend.
     
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  5. fjm1235 avatar Frank M. Posted: 5/11/2012 8:38pm PDT

    RIP. One of the greats. Thank you for my 2011 GT500.
     
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  6. fb_100002157005528 avatar Benjamin Burkhardt Posted: 5/13/2012 7:35am PDT

    RIP Carroll Shelby. The man was an automotive and American legion. He has done much more for this country than any modern (from 20th/21st centuries) U.S. President has done. He will be missed and remembered.
     
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  7. fb_1656576366 avatar David Selley Posted: 5/25/2012 7:15am PDT

    to the most influential person to the muscle car and automotive industry, rip mr shelby u certainly will be missed.
     
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