rumor control--has SAAC lost its use of Shelby name?

[A-Snake]

“When I walked away from racing and the car business in the early 1970s, never, in my wildest dreams, would I have thought those cars could develop the kind of following they have today. At first I was surprised that anyone cared about them at all. But as time went on, through the 1970s and into the 1980s, I began to realize how special they were. And I wasn’t alone. One of the reasons these cars are so exceptional is because of what they accomplished. Everyone who worked for Shelby American had a hand in that. But once we closed the company’s doors, we stepped out of the picture. If it wasn’t for a small handful of owners and enthusiasts who dedicated themselves to these cars, the Cobras and Shelby Mustangs would be just so many old, used cars today. That dedication is illustrated by this registry. When we were building the cars, our goal was to get them out the door and into the hands of dealers and owners. We never paid much attention to how many were four-speeds and how many were automatics, or how many were painted red, or to any of the small details that today’s owners find so interesting.
The Shelby American Automobile Club’s exceptional dedication is responsible for keeping the bloodline of these cars from being diluted by fakes and look-alikes. That translates into the continuing high level of interest in them as well as their high values. The publication of a book like this assures Cobras and Shelby Mustangs their rightful place in automotive history. An incredible amount of work has gone into gathering the information contained in this book, sorting through it, organizing it and then turning it into the printed page. It is truly a labor of love for everyone who was involved. I know what that’s all about because the Cobra was a labor of love for me.”

Carroll Shelby
Shelby American World Registry 1997