Carroll Hall Shelby, Dies today at age 89
- Thread starter twobjshelbys
- Start date
GT Tech
Ford GT Team Alumni
A real sad day for us gear heads. He effected so many people, in so many ways. Truly a great man. RIP
timcantwell
Le Mans 2010 Sponsor * Moderator
Stef
GT Owner
With the recent news of his ever failing health, I knew in the back of my mind we would not have him much longer. I was really hoping to meet him at the 50TH anniversary in Las Vegas. Meeting him has always eluded me, so you guys and gals that got to meet are very lucky, its not everyday you get to meet a true american Pioneer, Icon.......Hero, and it seems there not making anymore these days. God bless Carroll Shelby.
SYCO GT
GT Owner
That's fantastic! My 8 year old is doing a science report on vehicle braking dynamics. The kids just make us so proud! (perhaps also mildly influenced - can we help it if they follow our interests???)
And he keeps begging me to drag him to the kart racing place...I go reluctantly and squeeze in a race every once in a while, simply to appease him...
SYCO GT
GT Owner
I remember the 2007 Ford GT Rally dinner vividly. I was carrying around my helmet in a backpack the entire evening. There I was, in the buffet line, waiting for the right opportunity, but not going to be the first one to disturb the evening ambience. And certainly didn't want to interrupt a man in pursuit of a hearty meal.
As luck would have it, someone with way more gumption than me, broke the ice, and asked Carroll for his autograph. At that moment, I begin to reach in my backpack and started to swing the helmet into play, just as I saw hands waving and Shelby's handler say "NO AUTOGRAPHS!!!" "However, Carroll will be happy to take a picture with each and every person in this room that wants one"
I had dragged my poor wife (great sport she was), on our wedding anniversary, to this Forum Dinner at the Petersen Museum, and we were lucky to have this photograph of him and us. I thought of how kind it was for him to take the time to take pictures and talk with each of us. I'll always remember that night.
As luck would have it, someone with way more gumption than me, broke the ice, and asked Carroll for his autograph. At that moment, I begin to reach in my backpack and started to swing the helmet into play, just as I saw hands waving and Shelby's handler say "NO AUTOGRAPHS!!!" "However, Carroll will be happy to take a picture with each and every person in this room that wants one"
I had dragged my poor wife (great sport she was), on our wedding anniversary, to this Forum Dinner at the Petersen Museum, and we were lucky to have this photograph of him and us. I thought of how kind it was for him to take the time to take pictures and talk with each of us. I'll always remember that night.
steved57
GT Owner
Kudos to all of you who were fortunate enough to meet him. I watched the special on Speed about him last night hosted by Dave Despain which was a really good show. Carrol made the statement "yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery so live for today" which I think is a really cool statement. As said many times in above posts he is an icon
Kingman
GT Owner
THamonGT
GT
Since Carroll's passing my mind has been racing with a lot of memories of Carroll and many of our conversations. The last time I talked to Carroll, before he went into the hospital in California he called me to tell me he was going to send his GT to Las Vegas to his headquarters and have his people twin turbo it because he was hearing of all the GT Forum members running 200 MPH in a mile. He said "hell I want my GT to run 200mph in a mile with me driving, I'm up for it". When I ask him when he was going to slow down and take it easy he would say " Tomy you sound like my Wife Cleo and my Doctors, I've got a lot to do and not much time to do it in". I don't think he was able to do that but I'm sure he was doing over 200 when he left here. That was our buddy and friend. He didn't want any GT owner to out do him even at 89 years old.
Cobrar
GT Owner
Carroll shelby 1923-2012
Credit - Automotive News Story:
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120511/OEM02/120519970/1254
RIP Carroll. Lived Life as it should be done. :thumbsup:thumbsup
Credit - Automotive News Story:
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120511/OEM02/120519970/1254
RIP Carroll. Lived Life as it should be done. :thumbsup:thumbsup
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jbyrnes
FORD GT OWNER
Years ago I flew out to Road America for the annual Shelby meet but didn't get to the track to late in the afternoon. When I found the grass site where the meet was it was almost deserted except for maybe 10 cars scattered around, and a small RV right in the middle with a small table set up next to it. As I got closer I saw it was Mr. Shelby quitely sitting there alone probably relaxing from a long day with the crowds. To my surprise he was nice enough to chat with me even though I had only came over for an autograph. How many other "celebrities" would be that personable or patient after signing autographs for half the day?
Didn't Carroll have some techincal inputs on the GT project? Was there a story as to why he didn't do a "Shebly GT" aftermarket mod to the GT's?
Didn't Carroll have some techincal inputs on the GT project? Was there a story as to why he didn't do a "Shebly GT" aftermarket mod to the GT's?
fjpikul
GT Owner
He aslo got the last five production GT's in blue. They were testing them at Wixom when we were there for the Rally.
THamonGT
GT
A Great tribute to Carroll by Dave Despain on the Speed Channel tonight. I hope this program will be available to purchase. Amazing accomplishments by a great American.
jbyrnes
FORD GT OWNER
Shelby's involvement with the GT40 program is well documented, but all I've heard about his GT work is the assignment of "technical advisor". I'm curious as to how his inputs were used to steer the final product. He didn't have decision making authority, but what kinds of things was he consulted about: styling?, powertrain?, material choices?, paint colors?, etc.
FourFather
GT Owner
If you take a few moments to reflect on just how much talent and drive he had, and what he was able to accomplish, and then how few individuals come along that are so blessed--to me it makes his life here just that much more special and exceptional -- what a guy!!
Here are my wife Ercie's thoughts about him-
If you’ve never been blessed to live in Texas, you may not know what makes a Texan tick. They are strong-willed individuals who grow up in a state where there’s not much room for the faint of heart, cowards, or the lily-livered. They endure extreme heat and cold (sometimes in the same day), hail, sleet and snow measured in feet, tornadoes and dust devils, 100 mph straight line winds, gullywashers, downdrafts, rattlesnakes and other vipers, scorpions, foot-long centipedes, herds of feral hogs, cougars, bobcats, coyotes and wolves. They have distain for being told what to do, how to do it, and when. They dislike big government even more. They know how to govern themselves and don’t need any help doing it.
When you grow up surrounded by those who adhere to being Texas proud, heck, you don’t sweat the small stuff. Like racing with nitroglycerin under the tongue, being told a new heart is necessary, then a kidney transplant. A whole buncha folks would have withered under such crushing blows. But not Carroll Shelby. He knew the risks, accepted them, got a new heart and kidney, and kept going. He still had a lot to do.
The docs gave him five years to live, and he did. Plus seventeen more. He was setting records until the day he went to glory. The Texan in him, the line drawn in the sand at the Alamo, gave him the guts to keep chasing his dream of putting more and more muscle into the internal combustion engine. He was a visionary who didn’t have any quit in him. He didn’t go around his problems, he went through them.
And so we are separated from a beloved Texan who left a lifetime of accomplishments that may never be matched in the automotive world. We salute him for making our world a more exciting place to live in, and for the role model he was. He ran circles around the competition (pardon the pun) and enjoyed his accomplishments, as did we all. He was close to royalty in Eddie’s and my humble opinion.
Not a bad legacy for an ole chicken farmer from Leesburg, Texas, who spent most of his childhood in bed with a faulty heart.
You won the race to heaven; God bless you, Mr. Shelby. You used your God-given talents well here on earth.
Ercie Hill
P.S.: I heard the racetracks up there are made of gold, and titanium is dirt cheap.
Here are my wife Ercie's thoughts about him-
If you’ve never been blessed to live in Texas, you may not know what makes a Texan tick. They are strong-willed individuals who grow up in a state where there’s not much room for the faint of heart, cowards, or the lily-livered. They endure extreme heat and cold (sometimes in the same day), hail, sleet and snow measured in feet, tornadoes and dust devils, 100 mph straight line winds, gullywashers, downdrafts, rattlesnakes and other vipers, scorpions, foot-long centipedes, herds of feral hogs, cougars, bobcats, coyotes and wolves. They have distain for being told what to do, how to do it, and when. They dislike big government even more. They know how to govern themselves and don’t need any help doing it.
When you grow up surrounded by those who adhere to being Texas proud, heck, you don’t sweat the small stuff. Like racing with nitroglycerin under the tongue, being told a new heart is necessary, then a kidney transplant. A whole buncha folks would have withered under such crushing blows. But not Carroll Shelby. He knew the risks, accepted them, got a new heart and kidney, and kept going. He still had a lot to do.
The docs gave him five years to live, and he did. Plus seventeen more. He was setting records until the day he went to glory. The Texan in him, the line drawn in the sand at the Alamo, gave him the guts to keep chasing his dream of putting more and more muscle into the internal combustion engine. He was a visionary who didn’t have any quit in him. He didn’t go around his problems, he went through them.
And so we are separated from a beloved Texan who left a lifetime of accomplishments that may never be matched in the automotive world. We salute him for making our world a more exciting place to live in, and for the role model he was. He ran circles around the competition (pardon the pun) and enjoyed his accomplishments, as did we all. He was close to royalty in Eddie’s and my humble opinion.
Not a bad legacy for an ole chicken farmer from Leesburg, Texas, who spent most of his childhood in bed with a faulty heart.
You won the race to heaven; God bless you, Mr. Shelby. You used your God-given talents well here on earth.
Ercie Hill
P.S.: I heard the racetracks up there are made of gold, and titanium is dirt cheap.