So I picked up an 86 gt for a kick around car last week. Went down to DMV to register it today. Walked over to sit and wait my 1-2 hours and guess who's sitting two feet away. The old man Carroll Shelby must have needed to renew his driver's license I have met with him on several occasions so I made a quick stop and said a friendly hello. I watched him for about an hour after and nobody friggin' recognized him. It blew me away.
luckey you to meet the legend so many times. i wish i could say thank you to him for kicking ford in the butt so to speak when it came to making the little mustang perform.
I've shaken hands with John Force many times at signature signing events, what a really nice person. Also have shaken hands with Shirley Muldowney , Linda Vaughn and although not a car racer, Kareem Abduhl Jabar.
Too Much! I have met him a few times as well, in private when you treat him as a "Regular Joe", he's fine. It's when he's in public & getting baraged is when he gets REAL fiesty. Here I am with him the the Shelby Mustang into at the 2005 NYC auto show.. I too have had the pleasure of meeting many auto celebs! Twice chatted with Linda Vaugn about the H/O's being a past owner myself. That subject is a favorite o hers, and a good way to get her to chat as well. Force is a nutcase! He loves to talk about his early days in Funny Car! Here I am with Force & Parnelli Jones at the 2004 Mustang Intro in NYC... Met many racers over the years, many just like to be talked with as a regular guy, don't adore them.
You're lucky. I've seen CS at his best whe he used to own a Goodyear racing distributorship. Several people I knew worked for him and he was a real.........donkey pit. Really bummed me out to find he was that way behind closed doors. Luckily most of these guys changed jobs when CS moved his operation to Las Vegas
There are many, many stories about CS, both good & bad. I have seen both sides. Respect for his past, but not with much of his current buisiness dealings. Did you know that Superformance is now building the CSX4000 cars? Sheesh.......
Doesn't Pete Brock own Superformance? Seems like if anyone has a right to build new Cobras, Brock would be the man.
Nope, he just served as a consultant during the development process of the coupe. Carroll and his lawyers just LOVE harassing other Cobra Repica manufacturers. It's all about $$$$$$$$.
Shows what I know, LOL. You know, I know this is a contraversial subject, but if what CS says is true, I gotta side with him. Shelby said that he made an offer to each of the Cobra replica builders that if they would donate $1,000 per car to his children's heart fund, he would give each car his blessing and a Shelby VIN#. Not one accepted the offer. If that's true, shame on the replica companies. The buyer (IMHO) would gladly absorb the extra $1K just for the VIN# alone as it would add some "authenticity" to the car and therefore increase the value as time goes on. Plus the replica (I HATE the term "kit car") builders could bank the Karma points. BTW, I was fortunate enough to meet CS at Laguna Seca during the Monterey Historic Races and found him to be extremely polite to each of the hundreds of people wanting an autograph. Maybe he's a different person to work for, or whatever, but whose boss isn't a jerk from time to time?
I wouldn't be able to pick him out in a lineup. I might love the cars that have his name on them, but I honestly dont think I've ever seen his picture. What kind of daily driver does he bump around in? Did you get him to sign your glove box?
Well, Shelby automotive is here in Vegas, so I have a little advantage. I have been in the legends presence at least 10 times. I never though too much of him on a personal level (grumpy) until 2004 after the SEMA show. The president of UP, close contact, asked me to go to the end of the track and be there for Mike Ashley's clinch of the Pro Mod title. The funny thing is John Force took his title first and went and shook CS's hand. I was standing right behind CS. That day, I got to speak with him on a more friendly level one on one and I feel differently about him. He get's real grumpy around a lot of people. I thought originally it was because he was just full of himself.
The Replica deal happened a few years back, mostly based on a trademark lawsuit on the Cobra's shape. FFR beat it by simply not calling the cars "Cobra". Superformance was the other big company that did not settle then, but has since. I heard a talk by Peter Brock, embracing the Replica Industry as the ultimate compliment to the original Cobras, based on the concept of "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery", and how the replica phenominom has actually enhanced the aura of the originals. Of course, Ol' Shel' was the next speaker, and he proceded to blast poor Brock. Ah, the battle of egos. My guess for CS's daily driver? Why a big Ol' Buick of course!
