Carroll Shelby

Carroll Hall Shelby (January 11, 1923, Leesburg, Texas - May 10, 2012): An American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur whose influence on performance car culture remains unmatched, achieving success as a driver, manufacturer, and team manager. Born in East Texas in 1923, Shelby's early years were marked by severe health challenges, including a heart condition that kept him bedridden until age seven. Despite these obstacles, he developed a passion for speed and automobiles, influenced by his father's love of cars. Shelby's racing career flourished in the 1950s, earning him Sports Illustrated Driver of the Year in 1956.

The pinnacle came in June 1959 when he co-drove an Aston Martin DBR1 with Roy Salvadori to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, becoming only the second American-born driver to win this prestigious race after Phil Hill in 1958. However, his heart problems had reemerged, and he suffered acute chest pains, racing with nitroglycerin pills under his tongue to relieve the pain. Due to his worsening heart condition, Shelby was forced to retire from driving in 1960 at the height of his abilities. Rather than leaving motorsport, Shelby opened Shelby American, Inc.

in 1962, a high-performance vehicle manufacturer that would make him a legend. He obtained a license to import the AC Ace from England and secured Windsor V8 engines from Ford, creating the legendary AC Cobra. The first Cobra was assembled in 1962 at Dean Moon's shop in Santa Fe Springs, California, creating a car that could finally compete with Corvette. His collaboration with Ford expanded to produce the Mustang-based Shelby GT350 starting in 1965, followed by the Shelby GT500 in 1967, creating icons of American muscle car culture.

As a team manager, Shelby developed the Ford GT40 with driver Ken Miles, leading Ford to victory at Le Mans in 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969, breaking Ferrari's dominance. He also led the Cobra Daytona Coupe to victory in 1964, making him the only person in history to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a driver, manufacturer, and team manager. Shelby was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1992, and both Ford and Shelby American continue using the Shelby name on high-performance Mustang variants, ensuring his legacy endures.