"Shelby: A Retrospective" At the AACA Museum

Carroll Shelby is an icon of the automotive world. For over 50 years his name has served as a virtual synonym for the term "automotive performance." Shelby began his career as a race car driver and before being forced to retire due to health reasons, won the prestigious 1959 24 Hours of LeMans driving for Aston Martin. Although he was twice named Sports Illustrated's Driver of the Year (1956 and 1957) he is much better known worldwide for his work in his second career as an automobile builder. From his first project that combined the British built two-seat AC Bristol with a Ford V8 to create the "Cobra," to his current partnership with Ford, Shelby has always had his sights set on building the ultimate American sports car. Along the way he has created a long line of popular and extremely successful street and race vehicles bearing the names Cobra, Daytona Coupe, GT40, GT350 and GT500 Mustangs and the Chrysler Omni GLHS.




Beginning on February 11th this compelling story will be told at the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum through the special exhibition, Shelby: A Retrospective. The exhibition will feature approximately 18 cars representing the manufacturers and body styles that chronicle Shelby's history as a sports car manufacturer and performance tuner. The exhibition will include cars from all phases of Shelby's career. We will have an example of the first car to bear his name - the two-seat English made AC Bristol that he imported to the States, outfitted with Ford's 260 and 289 cubic inch V8s and successfully sold and raced as the AC Cobra. Shelby continued with larger-engined versions of the Cobra while also turning his attention to the Mustang. From 1965 to 1970, specially modified Mustangs bearing the names Shelby GT350 and GT500 were produced either in his shop or by Ford under licensed contract. Outstanding examples of all of these cars will be included in the exhibition; including a car owned by Chuck Cantwell who was the project engineer and test driver on the 1965 though 1967 GT350s and GT500s.

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