Carroll Shelby Tribute thread. Be a part of it.

[boxhead]

To say thanks, My own personal love for these cars started in approx 1980, I was all of 10 or 11 years old and I was with my Stepfather at a boat yard.
This all black 427 sc replica (I am assuming it wasa replica) Cobra was sitting in the carpark, my stepfather knew cars (he raced through the 70's and 80's) and he told me what it was.
I made him hang around in the carpark so I could look at it some more, and by luck the owner arrived, he started it up and drove away, the look and the sound never left me.
I made a promise to myself that day that I would own one one day and I also promised myself that I would not own any other V8 cars until I had my Cobra.
Well, I managed to keep that promise and owned plenty of fast 4's and a couple of modified 6's, but never an 8.
A few years after this, I heard Bill Cosby's 200mph, this only served as a reminder of whatI wanted.

I knew all along I would never get a genuine one.

After many years of working and honestly getting no closer to fulfilling this dream, it was time to move location so I could earn more money to get one.
That move happened in 2002, and within 12 monthes I had saved the money to purchase my kit.
The years of saving and building have been fantastic, and with the car now being registered fo 12 months, I can add that owning and driving one has been fantastic. There really is no beter thing to make me smile than sliding behind the wheel and going for a drive.

So thank you Mr Shelby for making me smile.

[Don]

From AutoWeek.com

" Carroll Shelby honored with Keith Crain achievement award "

" Famed car designer Carroll Shelby received the 2011 Keith Crain/Automotive News Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday evening during the Washington auto show.

The award is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the auto industry.

"I accept this award with all of the humility a person could have," Shelby said.

Shelby created the Shelby Cobra and has inspired designs for American sports cars for decades.

"If ever there was an icon in our industry, Carroll Shelby is it," said Keith Crain, AutoWeek and Automotive News editor-in-chief. "He has been the driving force behind putting power and performance in great American cars and thereby representing our industry throughout the world, both on the racetrack and the highway."

The two previous winners were auto-safety pioneer Ralph Nader and U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. "

[Don]

HD Theater TV Special: America's Greatest Race Car: The History of the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe Racecar, .............

http://dhd.discovery.com/tv-schedule...338.128157.0.0

[Don]

In progress......

" The Antique Automobile Club of America's museum in Hershey, Pa., has just opened a retrospective of Carroll Shelby's long life and the long line of cars he's created The exhibition was born out of a local Shelby meet at the museum last fall, which drew 125 cars, says Dan Reiter, longtime Shelby American Automobile Club member and Shelby racer who helped round up the cars "


http://www.autoweek.com/article/2011...CTOR/110309926

[rodneym]

I’d like to say that I saw my first Cobra as a 7 year old kid. But these cars lived and died (figuratively speaking, of course) before I was born. I would also like to say that I’m a Cobra fan because my dad had one, but…..well, he was a GM man. Ford was his dad’s car. Chevy was for the younger generation. After all, Fangio raced Chevys (in Argentina) when my dad was a little kid. No Ford Blue in my blood. And when my dad was finished climbing the brand ladder with GM, he indulged in a couple Alfas, one of which was a 1975 red Montreal. I can still remember him arriving home for the first time. Che macchina!
As a teenager I spent a fair amount of time reading about Ferraris and Maseratis. I built models of them as best I could and even attempted to crunch some numbers on a real one (let’s see, if I stay single and forgo a house, I might be able to afford a 288 GTO!). I won’t bore anyone with my 20’s and 30’s but later in life I found myself with something I had never had before, ‘disposable income’. Alas! A used 550 Maranello? A gently used Maserati GranSport? Still pretty steep. I found the Lotus Elise more fun anyway. Then in my journey I discovered Cobras and the replica market (whew). After test driving and renting those cars (and more), I drove a Superformance Cobra with a Supercharged Roush. Wow. Needless to say, the entire experience put the other cars to shame. The sound, raw power, wind and timeless shape!
After I dealt with the dirty ‘R’ word, I came across the history of a man whose name I had known mostly for being on Dodge hatchbacks in the 80’s. I admired the audacity of a man from humble beginnings, taking on the biggest name in racing, and winning! It reminds me of what people can do when they put their minds to it, how piss and vinegar can cause more drive than anything, and what national pride used to look like. We sit down at our keyboards and bicker about the details but Carroll Shelby did it! He’s the real deal. I’m in awe of him. And if I ever meet him I’m going to tell him how thankful I am for his efforts.

[littlewave]

Built my first plastic model car(snap together) at the age of 8... it was a Cobra!! Now i'm building a real one!

Thanks Carroll.

[Craig Munschy]

I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Shelby, never got his autograph, but I did have the honor of owning one of his great sports cars (CSX-2318) for a while. Shelby lived a great life and it was just his time. The automotive world and enthusiasts have lost a true gem. My sympathy to his family. He was truly one of a kind. Long live the Shelby name, may it continue to shine forever. RIP Carroll Shelby...

[4Ever FE]

I went out 'n' fired up THe Torino this morning. There's no mistaking the sound of a 427 FE s/o w/solid lifters. And, no mistaking the Cobra on the fenders.