For the love of Ford: Carroll Shelby, the muscle behind US muscle cars

It was a match made in automotive heaven and it was to birth and inspire both a new and subsequent generations of the American ‘muscle car’ as we have come to know and love them.

Internationally credited as “a man whose vision of performance transformed the automobile industry”, race car driver and car manufacturer Carroll Shelby created the best known US sports cars of the 1960s, the AC Cobra and the Shelby Mustang.

Ford and Shelby: Famous ‘motoring love story’

These arose from a love affair between Shelby and Ford and it was that affair that was to spark the innumerable love affairs between man and muscle cars which endure until today.

Shelby was brought in to boost Ford’s struggling GT racing programme in late 1964. The automotive legend — who’d won Le Mans as a driver in 1959 — and his team reworked the GT40 and replaced its 289-cubic inch engine with a big 427. By 1966, Ford had swept the Le Mans podium by taking first, second, and third places.

It’s no surprise then that one of the automotive world’s most famous “love stories” is the one between Shelby and Ford Motor Company. Despite Carroll Shelby’s passing in 2012, it’s a story so powerful that it continues to be celebrated the world over with new anniversary models — the Shelby GT-H, Super Snake and the many Heritage Cars — dedicated to the legend himself.

‘Ford v Ferrari’

The movie Ford v Ferrari in which Shelby is played by actor Matt Damon, is based on this trailblazing Le Mans feat in which Shelby worked closely with British driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to challenge Ferrari’s long–time dominance of France’s renowned and enduring 24-hour Le Mans race.

Testament to Shelby’s fame and legacy, the film roared in to take the lead at North American box offices when it was released on 15 November 2019.

The love for Ford has taken many shapes and sizes since the inception of the brand — but none stand out as much as that passionate relationship that had developed between Carroll Shelby and Ford – which went on to spawn a new benchmark in the world’s motoring history. And it is for this reason that Ford South Africa is paying tribute to its relationship with Shelby during February – the Month of Love.

“Throughout Ford’s history, certain individuals have been destined to leave their indelible mark for all to see and experience for generations to come. Carroll Shelby was one such person — an extraordinary human being who took the world by storm through his achievements with Ford from the very beginning,” said Ford South Africa brand manager Atloli Lesela.

“It is a love story for the record books and Carroll’s fierce passion, as well as his dedication still shines through Ford Motor Company and Shelby American.”

The man behind the machine: Carroll Shelby’s track record

A chicken farmer by profession, Carroll also had a passion for motor racing and horsepower which earned him a coveted spot in the US Automotive Hall of Fame. During the 1960s, he was fascinated by Ford’s V8 engine and believed that it was well-suited to all forms of motor racing. Under his own company, Shelby American, he began transforming the AC cars by fitting Ford V8 engines to them.

AC Cobra

He didn’t need to wait long for success; his first labour of love produced the race-winning AC Cobra which made its mark throughout the highly competitive motorsport events staged in the US and in Europe. The Cobra’s successor, the Shelby Daytona Coupe went on to win the World Manufacturers’ GT Championship, a feat which brought the honour of being the first American vehicle to win the prestigious championship.

Ford Mustang

At the same time, the Cobra had become a major success for Ford dealers, and together Ford and Shelby would go on to define the muscle car segment and lead it into the next chapter with the Ford Mustang.

Shelby’s influence on the Mustang model would later bring the muscle car’s past, present and future together all at once.

Round about the time the Cobra had come into its own, Lee Iacocca, Ford’s Division General Manager, was concerned that the Mustang, while selling well, lacked a performance image. He enlisted the help of Carroll Shelby and when the Mustang GT 350 made its debut in 1965, it quickly established the Mustang as a thoroughbred performance icon – both on the road and the track.

Carroll’s love for the Mustang nameplate was sparked off and continued to be amplified with the GT500, added in 1967. This was the first time that the Mustang’s hood was enlarged to hold a big block V8, and that performance heart and soul is still a vital part of the Mustang’s DNA many years later.

Ford’s GT40 programme and more Mustang

At around the same time, Carroll had taken over Ford’s GT40 programme with one of the main objectives being to beat Ferrari at Le Mans. Interestingly, Carroll Shelby is the only person to win the 24 Hours Le Mans as a driver and as a manufacturer with the Cobra Daytona Coupe.

After a hiatus, which saw Carroll travel around Africa, he returned to the Ford Mustang. Although the Mustang had evolved into a modern-day sports car for new markets around the world, Carroll was still able to add his own character, unique power modifications and cosmetic upgrades with a series of special editions. Shelby upgrades on the Mustang continue to be carried out at authorised Shelby modification shops globally.

“There are only seven Mod Shops outside of America,” says Peter Lindenberg, owner of Shelby South Africa. “Two are in Canada and Europe and then one in Australia, China and South Africa in Malmesbury, Western Cape. Our technicians are trained at Shelby American and we only use Shelby components.”

“For those who are looking for real American muscle in a car that historically has proven to have a future embedded value, there is nothing out there to compare with Mustangs, and the range of Shelby Heritage cars including Shelby Daytona, Shelby Cobra and the GT40 MKII from the Shelby stable. Owners of Shelby vehicles feel the love for their ride on a daily basis,” says Lindenberg.