Caroll Shelby was the Texan creator of the Shelby Cobra, a car said by some to be largely responsible for the introduction of the 70mph speed limit in 1965.
In 1962 Shelby teamed up with the Bristol-based AC Cars to create the AC Cobra (known as the Shelby Cobra). The popularity of the roadster, powered by a Ford V-8 engine, enabled the faltering historic carmaker to continue producing the chassis for two-seater sports cars. However, safety concerns grew as drivers of the vehicle reached speeds of more than 150mph on Britain’s motorways, leading the Ministry of Transport to act.
On the race track, where the Shelby Cobra was licensed to thrill at such speeds, it was the leading car on the US Grand Touring racing circuit for several years in the 1960s, taking over from the hitherto dominant Ferraris.
Carroll Shelby used his industry contacts to forge a successful career as a motor racing impresario after a decade in the cockpit in the 1950s. He was flamboyant on the track, outspoken off it, and instantly recognisable in his familiar farming dungarees which he always raced in.
He enjoyed success on the US touring circuit racing Jaguars, Allards and Aston Martins and made a big impact on the European motor racing scene, driving in eight Formula One grand prix races between 1958 and 1959 and winning the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1959 with Britain’s Roy Salvadori. His driving career was brought to an abrupt end in 1960 by heart trouble.
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Throughout his life he was a colourful character, invariably to be found holding court with many an amusing turn of phrase delivered in his characteristically deep Texan drawl. He was a popular figure at race circuits, with an easygoing charm which belied the highly developed entrepreneurial instincts which took him from near poverty to becoming a millionaire.
Caroll Shelby was born in Leesburg, Texas, in 1923. He was a flying instructor during the war and later worked as a truck driver. A chicken farming venture was short-lived when his second batch of broilers died of disease.
He turned to racing and, like so many of his contemporaries, he cut his teeth on the drag racing circuit in 1952. He quickly moved on to road racing in MG sports cars in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) road races.
In one early race he wore for the first time a set of striped dungarees which were to become his trademark (he had been helping out on a friend’s farm earlier in the day and kept them on for the race because he thought they would be cooler than a proper tracksuit). He won the race and he believed the dungarees brought him luck.
Offers to drive came from many quarters during a period when there was no shortage of wealthy sports car owners. He raced in Allards, Jaguars, Aston Martins, Ferraris, Maseratis and Porsches. After one accident, he continued to race with his arm in a fibreglass sling and his hand taped to the steering wheel.
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His performances in the Cad-Allard came to the attention of John Wyer, Aston Martin’s team manager, who later recruited Shelby to compete as a co-driver in an Aston Martin at Le Mans in 1954. He also set 16 United States and international speed records in an Austin-Healy 100S.
After driving in increasing pain throughout 1960, because of a heart condition, he retired from racing. Subsequently he underwent a heart transplant and became an enthusiastic fundraiser for the World Children’s Transplant Fund.
Shelby founded Shelby America and aimed to storm the US road racing scene with a European-style sports car. He came up with the car’s celebrated name after seeing a cobra in front of the car in a dream. It was to become one of the best performing longdistance grand touring cars of the mid-1960s. It won the SCCA national championship and the United States Road Racing Championship in 1963. And it won the SCCA again in 1964 and the GT class at Le Mans in 1964. In 1965 it won the FIA World Championship of GT cars, beating Ferrari, which had been the outstanding car for several years.
Shelby was also actively involved in Ford’s big push at Le Mans at that time, being responsible for both construction and preparation of several team cars, including the Mk IV driven to victory in 1967 by Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt at record speed. He entered into a partnership with Gurney, forming All-American Racers to build both Formula One and Indianapolis-type cars, but later they went their separate ways.
His racing team was closed in 1969 and Shelby then established a Goodyear tyre distributorship. He also had interests in property, farming and chilli sauce manufacture — he was a co-founder of the International Chilli Society in 1976.
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In later years he returned to car production with a new generation of Cobra roadsters appearing in 1995. He was involved in the development of a new Ford GT car in 2003.
He is survived by his wife, Cleo, two sons and a daughter.
Caroll Shelby, racing car driver and designer, was born on January 11, 1923. He died on May 10, 2012, aged 89