The Shelby American Story

The Shelby American Story

The Shelby American Story tells the exciting history of Carroll Shelby, Shelby American, and the legendary high-performance racing programs that helped redefine American motorsports during the 1960s. Covering everything from Shelby’s racing career to the development of the Cobra, Daytona Coupe, and Ford GT, this book provides a detailed look at one of the most influential figures in automotive history.

Before becoming famous for the Shelby Cobra and Shelby Mustang, Carroll Shelby was an accomplished race driver who reached the pinnacle of sports car racing in 1959 when he and co-driver Roy Salvadori won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Forced to retire from driving because of health problems, Shelby shifted his focus toward building high-performance sports cars using lightweight chassis and powerful American V8 engines.

The book follows Shelby’s groundbreaking partnership with AC Cars, where he transformed the lightweight British sports car into the now-legendary Shelby Cobra by installing Ford V8 power. From there, Shelby American quickly became a dominant force in racing, earning victories at Sebring, Le Mans, and tracks around the world.

Inside readers will discover:

• The complete story behind the creation of the Shelby Cobra
• The development of Cobra roadsters and Daytona Coupes
• Shelby American’s racing success during the 1960s
• Ford’s partnership with Carroll Shelby
• The Ford GT program and Le Mans victories in 1966 and 1967
• Engineering and development details behind the race cars
• The drivers, engineers, and personalities involved in Shelby American

The book also explores Ford’s pursuit of international racing dominance after Ferrari declined Ford’s attempted buyout. Shelby American ultimately helped Ford achieve victories at Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans, establishing Ford as a global motorsports powerhouse.

Filled with racing history, technical insight, and stories from one of the greatest eras in American performance and motorsports history, The Shelby American Story is an essential addition for Shelby enthusiasts, Cobra fans, Ford collectors, and anyone interested in classic racing history.