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Carroll Shelby would have been 100 this year, and while he outlasted a lot of friends and lived way longer than he should have given all the medical challenges and OEM replacement parts that kept him alive for the second half of his life, even Ol’ Shel’ couldn’t make it into triple digits.
He passed away in 2012 at the age of 89, which was still something of a miracle considering that he raced in the era before fire suits, carbon-fiber halos and in a time when drivers hoped to be “thrown clear” of car crashes. When he finally arrived at the pearly gates—assuming that’s where he is—he had both a replacement heart and a new kidney.
In between he won Le Mans as both a driver and a team owner, invented the Shelby Cobra, the Shelby Mustang, and even something called the Shelby Series 1, the latter which deserves—and got—a book all to itself. He also sued just about anything that moved, up to and including his own fan club. He was often described as “opportunistic” in business dealings. He was married, some say, seven times, all but one of which ended in divorce and that wife died “in a single-car accident at night on his ranch.”
“People say when they made Carroll Shelby they broke the mold,” fellow American racing legend Dan Gurney said during a Shelby tribute at the Petersen Automotive Museum in 2012. “And if they ever tried to make the mold again, he’d sue them.”
Addressing the crowd at the same tribute, another Shelby friend, the artist Bill Neale, touched on Shelby’s propensity for litigation: “It’s a lot easier when you’re not being sued,” Neale said about his lifelong friend.
So while Shelby was flawed, as we all are, he accomplished a tremendous amount in a long and fulfilling life. Which is why he, his cars, and even the airplanes he flew as an instructor in WWII will all be honored at the Goodwood Revival Sept. 8-10 in England.
“As Goodwood celebrates 75 years of the Motor Circuit, and 25 years of the Revival, it’s a chance to reflect on the motorsport legends who have joined us over the years,” read a Goodwood statement. “Carroll Shelby is no exception, having raced at Goodwood during the Circuit’s heyday in arguably one of the most important and dramatic races in the annals of British motorsport: the 1959 RAC Tourist Trophy.
“This race saw him share the winning DBR1/300 with his co-drivers Jack Fairman and Stirling Moss—the latter a late addition after his own car was eliminated in a spectacular fire during a routine pit stop. Earlier in the season, Shelby had won Le Mans, sharing the same DBR1 with Roy Salvadori, and victory in the Tourist Trophy secured the World Championship for Aston Martin.”
Shelby returned to Goodwood for the 2000 edition of the Revival, where he ran one of his namesake Daytona Coupes driven by Danny Sullivan.
“We’re honoured that the Duke of Richmond and his team have chosen to honour the 100th anniversary of Carroll’s birthday this year,” said Shelby’s grandson Aaron Shelby.
Who knows, there could even be a Shelby Series 1. Among the airplanes Shelby flew in the war were the B-25 Mitchell bomber, Douglas A-26 Invader, and the big, long-range, high-capacity B-29 bomber. It’s not yet clear exactly which planes will be at Goodwood, but the Revival generally offers as many reasons to look up at the sky as there is to watch cars roaring around Goodwood’s 2.4-mile road course.
“It’s such a privilege to be celebrating Carroll Shelby at the Goodwood Revival this year,” said the host of the event, the Duke of Richmond, whom you may recall was previously called Lord March. “He was a good friend and I remember when Carroll first came to the Revival back in 2000—having raced and famously won at Goodwood in the 1959 TT—bringing with him his infectious personality and competitive spirit. It will be wonderful to see those glorious cars that Carroll raced and designed in action at Goodwood once again over the weekend.”
So fire up the P-51 and start making plans to attend. Tickets are available now at goodwood.com.
Can you think of anyone in the racing world today who has picked up where Carroll Shelby left off, as a driver, team owner, and visionary? Please comment below.
