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

[Blue66]

Originally Posted by marcocsx3121

As someone who's been involved with Cobras and Cobra-oriented organizations from the very early days, I've found this thread both fascinating and a bit of deja vu. I was one of the charter members of the Shelby Owners Association, having attended the first meeting in January 1972. The SOA morphed into the SAAC a few years later, by which time I had 1. resigned from the SOA and 2. sold the Cobra.

I left the SOA when it became apparent that the original president, a gentleman by the name of Dave Bythewood, was using his position for personal gain. He was doing this by intercepting ads for both complete cars and choice parts submitted to the Club newsletter and buying them or brokering sales before they were ever offered to the membership as a whole. The model of the Club as a generator of personal revenue was completed when the SAAC broke cover as a "for-profit" organization. The expansion of the club's charter to include such strange devices as Shelby Dodge GLH turbos was a pretty transparent ploy to cast a wider net for membership dues.

Given all that, I'm convinced this new "club", like the SAAC, is about money and only money. The reputation and collectability of the original Shelby cars will do fine without either organization.

Dammm old people Oh ya you are right . I think I still have the "newsletter's" from "Dave" around here in my junk.

[Don]

The following appeared ( exact copy/paste ) in the Nov 15th Hemmings e-Weekly Newsletter:


Muscle Cars
Shelby forms new owner’s club

Carroll Shelby may be in his mid-80s, but he is still trying to control everything associated with his name. He has created a new community for enthusiasts of the cars built by his companies.

Based in Dearborn, Michigan, “Team Shelby” is the only club officially recognized by the factory for all Shelby-built vehicles, including the 2006 and newer Shelby-based Mustangs. The club will officially launch on January 11, 2008, Shelby’s 85th birthday.

“People have asked me for years to form a club that will help them really enjoy their Shelby car,” said Carroll Shelby. “There’s a new generation of cars, new faces at Shelby and people who want to enjoy their vehicle in new ways. The world has changed over the past 42 years, so we need a club to meet the needs of this new generation.”

Unfortunately, this means the longstanding Shelby American Automobile Club will no longer be recognized by Shelby. The SAAC began in 1975, when the newest Shelbys, just five years old at the time, were still, in many cases, daily drivers. The club, based in Connecticut, has more than 5,000 members in this country and another 500 around the world. The club is dedicated to the preservation, care, history and enjoyment of the cars built by Shelby.

Rick Kopec, one of the operating directors for the SAAC, said, “Our lawyers have advised us not to comment about this matter because it is in litigation. The facts will all come out in due time.” Stay tuned.
- By George Mattar

[turnpike boy]

You made it!! 20 pages and steaming right along!

[gt350pilot]

I picked up my copy of the new magazine and found it to be a good read. But in reading it I was very surprised to see something.

A very good friend of mine and his original cobra was used for an advertisement for the new csx cobras. I asked the owner if he had been asked for his permission and he said that he hadn't. I understand that if it was just an image of him it would not be a big deal but would think it would be a different situation to use it in an advertisement. Could anybody hear imagine how quickly Carroll's lawyers would be at your door if you used his image and car in an advertisement in a national magazine without his ok?

Another thing that was bothersome was that in reading the text it was decidedly unclear as to whether the car pictured was an original or continuation.To be sure that I wasn't out in left field I had many friends read the article and they were split about 50/50 about whether the implication was that his car was an original or not. I understand it is in SA's interest to blur the lines between the originals and thier new products but if I owned a car with an originals value I would not want any cloud on it's legitamacy.

[amy B]

Originally Posted by gt350pilot

I picked up my copy of the new magazine and found it to be a good read. But in reading it I was very surprised to see something.

A very good friend of mine and his original cobra was used for an advertisement for the new csx cobras. I asked the owner if he had been asked for his permission and he said that he hadn't. I understand that if it was just an image of him it would not be a big deal but would think it would be a different situation to use it in an advertisement. Could anybody hear imagine how quickly Carroll's lawyers would be at your door if you used his image and car in an advertisement in a national magazine without his ok?

Another thing that was bothersome was that in reading the text it was decidedly unclear as to whether the car pictured was an original or continuation.To be sure that I wasn't out in left field I had many friends read the article and they were split about 50/50 about whether the implication was that his car was an original or not. I understand it is in SA's interest to blur the lines between the originals and thier new products but if I owned a car with an originals value I would not want any cloud on it's legitamacy.

Your right, we screwed up, we should have asked first. The add was for new cars, but was representing the DNA of original racing cobras, I did see where it could be confusing, we have talked to the owner, will let him know that when we will want to run again and will specifically say, "original cobra csx 2514"

yes, these types of posts will be allowed.


Amy