Carroll Shelby

In the 1960s, Shelby raised the profile of American racing machines on the international sports-car circuit by packing powerful Ford V-8 engines into lightweight British roadsters, and by developing racing cars for Ford. His Shelby Cobras proved worthy competitors to the likes of Ferrari, Maserati and Jaguar and became prized collector’s items — today they command six- and seven-figure prices. He founded Shelby American in 1962. It became one of the most successful independent sports-car builders of the era. Lee A. Iacocca of Ford introduced the Mustang in 1964, he asked Shelby to help create a high-performance version for racing. In January 1965, the first Shelby Mustang, the GT350, made its debut. Shelby also developed the Ford GT40, and the Shelby GT500 and GT500KR (the KR stood for King of the Road). Shelby had a heart transplant in 1990. A year later, he founded the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation, now known as the Carroll Shelby Foundation, which financed organ transplants for children, then expanded to provide educational assistance for young people. Shelby is survived by his wife, Cleo; his children, Patrick, Michael and Sharon; and a sister, Anne Shelby Ellison.