Shelby's Goodyear Tire distributorship history

[my427cobra]

OK. The thread on the 427 Cobra tool kit and BDS screwdriver was fun. Tremendous responses and I learned a lot from all of you. Time to start another which I hope will gather some interest and responses.

So, I don’t know what I gotten myself into. But here goes:
I’ve started on what I thought would be another simple (yeah, I know, they’re never simple) project.

I was able to locate a few treasures:
I’ve got an original Sunburst wheel (curbed/broken but repaired) and an original 1966 Goodyear Blue Dot 8.15X15 street tire (barely used) to mount on it.
Plus an original Halibrand Cobra II 7.5X15 magnesium wheel (also curbed/broken but repaired) and an original 1966 Goodyear Blue Streak 5.50/9.75X15 racing tire (also barely used) to mount on it.

With a little elbow grease I have been able to freshen up the tires and I’ve had 50 years of corrosion on the wheels walnut blasted. Here are pics of the tires and the wheels.















My simple plan: Garage Art.
THEN IT GOT COMPLICATED! Or rather I made it complicated.
1) First I wondered about Carroll Shelby’s Goodyear dealership in it’s early days:
Did his Goodyear dealership supply all the tires for the original Cobras?
Did the Shelby Goodyear distributorship have a company logo and does anyone have a pic or image?
Here’s a pic of a sticker/decal , but I don’t know if it’s 1960’s period accutate/correct:



2) Then I had to have a way to display the tire/wheel ;
Simple answer: Get a couple of vintage Goodyear tire display stands off e-bay. Done.

Not so simple: Have to restore them.
Does anyone know the color name/number of the light blue background on this Goodyear tire stand?



What about the Goodyear triangular logo. Lots of different versions. I’m looking for the ones that are typically pictured on the Daytona Coupes. Which is period correct?



3) Boy it would be nice to have “stickers” for the tires.
Does anyone know if reproduction stickers are available or where I could get images? Might have to dummy my own up from this pic:



Then, a few questions to SAAC has landed me in a situation. SAAC has suggested I take on the task of documenting the history of the Shelby Enterprises Goodyear dealership.

I’m no expert, but if the tool kit/screwdriver thread was any indicator, we have a community with a lot of history and knowledge, and I’ll do my best to coax the info out of all of you and assemble it into a historical narrative.

So, a simple garage art project to restore an old Goodyear Blue Dot street tire/Sunburst wheel and a Goodyear Blue Streak racing tire/Halibrand magnesium racing wheel has lead me down a path of documenting the history of Shelby's Goodyear tire dealership.

Very little has been written about it and very little has been exhibited relative to advertising, logos, pictures, products or personnel.

Many of you seem to have a wealth of info at your fingertips and I hope you would be able to help me. Info of any kind about the 1960’s Shelby Goodyear dealership with copies of any printed matter, pictures, specs or contacts you may have regarding the Shelby Goodyear distributorship, and the tires he put on his cars, will be appreciated. In addition , anecdotal stories, historical references , and any other relevant info will be useful. Copies would be fine, don't need originals.

This may be a long term project (6 months to a year) so there's no rush, but I hope I can depend on you all as a resource.

I’ll start a new thread in the originality forum as I get going on this project.

The quote on my vintage Paul Revere and the Raiders t-shirt says it all: “The kicks keep getting harder to find!”

But hopefully I’ll never stop looking.

Cheers
Greg