Not Ranked
Flatliner:
A couple of points I would make. First, by slightly modifying the original AC body with wider fenders, hoodscoops, etc., Shelby did in fact create a new product. Pete Brock and Ken Miles helped Shelby do the original redesign of the AC, not the gents in England. I liken this to the same way that Saleen creates a Saleen Mustang. If you go out and identically reproduce all the Saleen ground effects, wheels, seats, etc. (even without his logos), and bolt them on a Mustang and start selling it as a Flatliner Mustang, you better believe that Steve Saleen and his attorneys will be paying you a visit.
Second, I wasn't talking about the pro athletes who do endorsements, I'm talking about the way that they get paid anytime a product is created using their likeness or their number. Dale Earnhardt Jr. may not endorse Winner's Circle diecast cars, but because Winner's Circe makes money off of selling a #8 Monte Carlo, Jr. gets a gigantic royalty check each quarter, and he doesn't have to lift a finger or do a single commercial. Who else gets a royalty from that toy car? Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Chevrolet and Budweiser (now you guys know why your NASCAR toys cost so damn much).
I also see where if Shelby would have had his way, it's possible that many of us, including myself, would never have been able to afford a replica. I guess it's just the fact that folks rip on Shelby for doing exactly the same thing we would all do in his position.
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