Ford Performance and Shelby American

When you think of Ford Performance, does the name Shelby come to mind? Because it should! But why Shelby, who was he in the automotive industry? 

Young Carroll Shelby

Even at a young age, Carroll Shelby had a curiosity and interest in the automotive industry. At fifteen Shelby was driving and carrying for his dad’s two-door Ford sedan. After high school, Shelby enlisted in the Army Air Corps. Shelby would soon gain his wings and even become a lieutenant. After WWII and leaving the Army Air Corps, Shelby still had a real need for speed. In 1952 Shelby began his racing career. In 1954 he was allowed to race for the Aston Martin factory team. The pinnacle of Shelby’s racing career came in 1959 when he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is the crown jewel of international sports car racing. In 1960 Shelby retired from his racing career due to a heart condition. 

Caroll Shelby with Shelby GT350

The Cobra

During his international racing career, Shelby drove some of the most expensive and fastest sports cars of the day. Although Shelby was impressed with the speed of these vehicles, he could not say the same for the reliability of the engines and the constant maintenance and repairs that were required. This is when Shelby took it upon himself to design a sports car that would incorporate safety, speed, and be sold to the public. In a dream, he came up with the name Cobra. 

Ford Performance and Shelby American 

With the Cobra in mind, Shelby introduced his idea to the Ford Motor Company which was eager to join the international racing of sports cars. The Cobra had later proved itself in Ford dealerships and on race tracks worldwide. In 1962, Shelby created Shelby American, a company that would mass produce his vehicle. 

The Shelby Mustang

The Ford Mustang made its original debut in the spring of 1964. Although the Mustang was a huge success, Lee Iacocca, the Ford Division General Manager, approached Shelby and Shelby American to improve the Mustang as a sports car and have a winning performance image. Together Ford and Shelby American developed the 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350. In later years the two companies would come together again to release the Shelby Mustang GT500 which was sold from 1967-1970. 

In 2005 upper management changes at Ford would cause the merger of Shelby American and Ford again. Shelby American then became the lead brand on the SVT Mustang Cobra, which was marketed from 2007-2014 as the Shelby GT500. Shelby and Ford Performance continued their relationship and released a series of Mustangs and marketed them as “Shelby GTs”. They also offered a variety of other limited-edition specialty SVT Mustangs, including a 45th Anniversary GT500KR.

Modern day Ford Performance and Shelby American

The name Shelby is associated with Ford for a good reason. In today’s modern-day Shelby American has rolled out an array of fast Mustangs. But, the Shelby lineup today has expanded to also include some of the best performance trucks in the automotive industry. Including the Shelby Raptor, Shelby F-150, Shelby F-150 Super Snake, and the Shelby F-250 diesel.

Ford Performance vehicle in a desert setting.

Carroll Shelby passed away in May of 2012. Although, Shelby lived a long life and was able to provide his company with the tools they needed to venture into the bright future of performance vehicles. The Shelby Performance Parts Division has flourished into a worldwide known and loved company. Team Shelby has evolved into a must-join club that keeps Shelby fans united with fun events, shows, and forums.