Shelby name going global...

[Belobog]

Shelby didn't have anything to do with the design of the GT500. It's purely a marketing name/gimmick to attract people who find that sort of thing desirable.

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[dgc333]

Shelby has always been an aftermaret comany amending the stock car to make it better.

The problem is, Ford is trying to capitalize on the iconic name and people who don't know how things worked in the 60's.

Ford would have you belive they own Shelby and it is just a part of Ford.

The Shelby Mustangs of the 60's and 70's were actually titled as Shelby's. Ford shipped partially assembled cars to Shelby where final assembly was completed. There was very little that was removed and replaced, if it wasn't going to be used it was not part of the vehicle delivered from Ford. Ford was a supplier to Shelby American just as AC Bristol was with the Shelby Cobra. During this time Shelby designed and built the Cobra Coupes which was a clean sheet of paper design.

The name Mustang & Ford were not part of the identity of these cars. Shelby also had their own distribution and dealer network.

When Iaccoa left Ford to take over Chrysler, Shelby started building Shelby cars based on Dodge products. The GLHS, Lancer, CSX, Shelby Dakota were titled Shelby's. It was during this time that Shelby first started licensing the Shelby name to be applied to vehicles built by Dodge. The Dodge Shelby Daytona was a licensed vehicle as well as the Carroll Shelby Performance Package that was available on non Shelby Daytonas.

FWIW, Road & Track took a slightly modified 65 Shelby GT350 and a bone stock Shelby GLHS to Willow Springs. The FWD turbo 4 GLHS handily spanked the GT350. The original Viper roadster was a collaboration between Shelby and Dodge.

When Iaccoa left Chrysler Shelby teamed up with Oldsmobile. Shelby designed a clean sheet of paper roadster called the Shelby One using the Olds Aroura v8. When GM pulled the plug on Oldsmobile it left Shelby high and dry.

It was after Olds that Shelby went into the post sales conversion business that they are in today and reestablished their association with Ford.

 

[Mustang1260]

Ahh. On the road with a netbook so you all ain't getting one of my lengthy lectures...good AND bad info in this thread. Shelby (as a a company, Carroll never really involved as his engineer Phil Remington did the lifting) was NOT involved with Mustang s after the 1967 car. Production shifted for 1968 to Detroit (A O Smith for Ford). THE 1969/70 were total Ford planned/designed products. YOU guys have not discussed the actual REAL Shelby return to Mustang s with the 2006 GTH and the 07/08 or is it 08/09 Shelby GTs that were modified by Shelby PRESALE as we're the 65-67s.

 

[Snakedriver]

They should keep using the Shelby name.

 

[azsnake]

Shelby didn't have anything to do with the design of the GT500. It's purely a marketing name/gimmick to attract people who find that sort of thing desirable.

According to the release video I saw in 06 he was a consultant, so maybe he had input, but the engineering is ALL Ford. Maybe they just said he was to save ego's in the Shelby camp. Still, that was the first one as in the 2007 MY, I believe since then till his death he had pretty much 0% to do with anything on the cars.

 

[908ssp]

Why do you guy imply that doing it for marketing is a bad thing?

I don't believe they would sell as many GT350 if it didn't have the Shelby name. The name demands a premium and Ford would be foolish to not use it as long as they can.

 

[Strokerswild]

If I was Ford, I'd milk the Shelby cow for all it's worth. ;)

But in my opinion, all of the '07-up Ford-built cars are Shelby in name only (not to mention the '68-'70 cars to a lesser degree), since they weren't modified/built at Shelby American as the originals were. All marketing fluff, just like the Dodges. For the record, I wasn't really all that impressed with my '07.....

As mentioned earlier, technically the only "real" late-model Shelbys are the GT-H or Shelby GT cars, plus any SA-built GT350s and Super Snakes.

 

[dgc333]

......since they weren't modified/built at Shelby American as the originals were. All marketing fluff, just like the Dodges.

FWIW, with the exception of the 89 and 90 Shelby Daytonas which were built by Dodge all the other Dodge based Shelby cars were built at Shelby American and carried a Shelby title.

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