Carroll Shelby

   Carroll Hall Shelby, a man whose vision for performance transformed the automobile industry. He was an aviator in WWII, a chicken farmer upon his return to the states, and later ran a sports car dealership. With a true passion for cars and speed, Carroll would race his way into history driving and developing all things speed related. With recognition from his racing exploits, Shelby would quickly be endorsed by some of the biggest names in the world of racing.

• Shelby captured three national sports car championships in the United States, earned a spot on the Aston-Martin team in Europe, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and set land speed records at Bonneville Salt Flats. Twice, he was named Sports Illustrated’s “Driver of the Year.”
• Still in his prime, a heart condition caused him to abandon his driving prematurely in 1960. Instead of reeling in self-pity, Shelby turned his attention and talents to race car design and automotive manufacturing, a decision that would help propel him and his dreams for years to come. 
• Shelby’s window into Ford would be the AC Ace. After he lost out with Chevrolet on the AC Ace car, Ford picked up the program,which started Carroll's life-long friendship with Lee Iacocca and Ford.

• Carroll formed Shelby American in 1962 to create the Cobra, installing Ford's new small block V-8 into the English AC Ace Sports car.
• A visionary for his time, Shelby built on his ties with Ford and championed a program to race in the states and abroad. In 1963 they ran a Cobra Roadster in the GT classes at the Targa Florio, and the Daytona Cobra Coupe at Le Mans and at Goodwood in 1964. Then they won the crown jewel, the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, with the Ford Mark IV.
• Iacocca left Ford for Chrysler in 1982 and recruited Shelby to help rebuild the ailing company and restore performance to the company’s line-up.
• Shelby gave provenance to Chrysler's K car line-up, designed a muscle truck program and led Chrysler into development of the Viper, Dodge’s premiere muscle car.
• By 1988 Shelby would be back at Shelby American building Cobras again in search of promoting his own dream cars and finishing his last 43 vehicle tags.
• In 1995 Shelby moved to his new facility by Las Vegas Speedway to continue the Cobra program and concept his next iteration.
• Shelby’s next iteration would be with the Shelby Series One, built in conjunction with Oldsmobile’s Aurora engine program, and launch them in 1999 only to return to Ford by 2005.