Carroll Shelby: Early Years

Hide Text

Born in 1923. Carroll Shelby has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as a driver, owner, team manager, manufacturer and consultant.

Shelby Driving Career Highlights:

More

1955 World Sportscar Championship, Ferrari - 2nd at Sebring w/ Phil Hill

1956 SCCA, Ferrari - Won 26 events

1957 Sports Cars, Ferrari - 2nd at the non-championship GP event in Cuba

1958 F1 Maserati - 4th at Italy w/Gregory (though no points were awarded because of the shared drive)

1958 Sports Cars, Aston Martin - 3rd at the non-championship Goodwood Tourist Trophy race w/Lewis-Evans;

1959 F1 Aston Martin World Sportscar Championship, Aston Martin DBR - Won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race w/Salvadori

Shelby retired from driving in 1960, after being told by doctors to stop racing because of health reasons. Returning to the United States, he tried Texas oil wildcating, then running a trucking firm before becoming Goodyear's West Coast racing tire distributor.

In 1962, Carroll formed Shelby American in Santa Fe, New Mexico, (later moving into Lance Reventlow's old Scarab works in Los Angeles) and developed the legendary Cobra with Ford and A.C. cars of Great Britain. The Cobra's racing debut was at Riverside in October that year. By 1965, Shelby became involved in the Ford GT40 project. Shelby-prepared GT40s placed 1 and 2 at Le Mans in 1966.