Shelby American, Inc. is an American high performance automobile company founded by driver Carroll Shelby. The Shelby American name has been used by several legally distinct corporations founded by Shelby since his original shop in Venice, California began operation in 1962. The current iteration is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International, Inc., a holding company formed in 2003. Carroll Shelby International's other wholly owned subsidiary is Carroll Shelby Licensing, which licenses the name and trademarks associated with Shelby to other companies. Shelby American was the first automobile manufacturer in the state of Nevada. Shelby American manufactures component automobiles, including replicas of the small-block and large-block AC Cobras, the Shelby GT350 and the GT500 Super Snake. Since 2005, Shelby American has released new models each year.
Shelby American headquarters in Enterprise, Nevada
The first AC Cobra, CSX2000, at the Shelby Museum
"Flip-Top" prototype
289 FIA roadster
Carroll Hall Shelby was an American automotive designer, racing driver and entrepreneur. Shelby is best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and Mustang for Ford Motor Company, which he modified during the late 1960s and early 2000s. He established Shelby American in 1962 to manufacture and market performance vehicles. His autobiography, The Carroll Shelby Story, was published in 1967.
Shelby in 2007
Shelby beside his 1957 Maserati 450S at Virginia International Raceway in 2007
Shelby racing an Aston Martin DBR1/300 at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1958
1965 AC Cobra 427 (North America)