This year is the 50th anniversary of the iconic Shelby Cobra, and tragically also the year its creator passed away.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary and to pay tribute to Carroll Shelby, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will host a record number of Shelby Cobras from around the world. The event will start on August 17 and run until August 19 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where 45 authentic series CSX 2000 and 3000 were hand-picked for the dedicated Shelby Cobra race. A pool over nearly 60 entries were examined before narrowing the field to the maximum number safely allowed in one group.

Cobras will be arriving from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, and all across the U.S. to participate in the special occasion. In addition, more than 200 Shelby Cobras will be on display at the Cobra Corral with special areas for CSX 2000/3000 cars and Shelby American continuation cars. Replica Cobras are also welcomed to the Corral for display.

Ford Motor Company will also be paying tribute to the legend this year with a heritage display celebrating the iconic Shelby Cobra taking center stage at the race paddock.

Advance general admission tickets are $50, while a three-day pass is $130 including a complimentary souvenir magazine. Children under 12 are free with a paying adult and hospitality options are available starting at $200 per person.

Carroll Shelby’s passing rocked the automotive world, a man that was peerless in his automotive ingenuity and passion for motorsports.

To celebrate his life, Velocity Channel will be airing a three-part miniseries starting today and will continue to air it through June 1st, in case you can’t sit in front of the tube tonight. The Discovery Network spinoff channel will take a deeper look at Shelby’s extensive life and how he was such a huge influence to Ford‘s development over the years.

The first episode focuses on Shelby’s LeMans victory and the early years of the AC Cobra development, which is one of the most coveted high-performance cars of all time. The second showing will take a look into the partnership with American automaker Ford and how the original Mustang GT 350 came to life. The last of the miniseries covers Shelby’s most recent collaboration with Ford and focuses on the new Shelby GT 500, which will most undoubtedly become a collector’s car now.

The three-part miniseries begins at 8:00pm local time and you can hit the source link to see other dates and times it’ll be aired.

[Source: Velocity Channel]

Yesterday, we reported the tragic news of Carroll Shelby’s passing, a man whose passion shaped the automotive industry over the past few decades.

Born to Warren Hall Shelby and Eloise Lawrence Shelby on January 11th, 1923, it wouldn’t be until 1952 that Carroll Shelby got behind the wheel of a Ford-powered hot rod and participated in his first-ever drag race. It would be a mere four months later in May that Shelby would participate in his first road race in Norman, Oklahoma behind the wheel of an MG-TC and taking first place while competing against other MGs. He further proved his natural driving prowess later that day, capturing another victory while taking on the challenge against more powerful Jaguar XK 120s. Later on that year, Carroll Shelby grabbed a first place finish in an early SCCA race out at Caddo Mills, Texas.

His first big racing break came in January 1954, when Aston Martin team manager John Wyer offered Shelby an opportunity to co-drive an Aston Martin DB3 out at Sebring, Florida. Three months later, Carroll Shelby piloted a DBR3 to a second place finish for Wyer, landing him a spot as a co-driver at Le Mans in June 1954.

Racing accidents and victories would be scattered throughout that decade; but most notably was a Torrey Pines victory in July 1955 behind the wheel of a Mexiso Ferrari. That victory would give Shelby the opportunity to race a new 4.9-liter, 12-cylinder Ferrari, in which he once again grabbed himself a top podium spot. After accomplishing a win in just his first outing with the new Ferrari, Shelby was given the opportunity to travel to Europe to race.

In 1956, Shelby was named Sports Illustrated‘s ‘Driver of the Year’; and a year later in 1957, Carroll Shelby Sports Cars opened up in Dallas, Texas and Shelby is given the Sports Illustrated honor yet again. In June 1959, Carroll Shelby won the 24 Hours of Le Mans while co-driving an Aston Martin DBR1/300. Come the early-1960s, Shelby began experiencing chest pains and doctors diagnosed it as “angina pectoralis”, a condition where the coronary arteries lack blood.

December 3rd-4th, 1960 would mark Shelby’s last competition win, winning the USAC driving championship for that year. From there, he concentrated on his passion for performance, opening his School of High Performance Driving a year later in 1961 at Riverside Raceway. September 1961 would mark the beginning of Carroll Shelby’s venture towards building his own sports cars.

In February 1962, Shelby took delivery of his first roadster body and had a dream that reveals the name ‘Cobra’ in front of his car. Powered by a Ford V8 mated to a four-speed transmission, Carroll Shelby takes his new Cobra for a test drive. Next month, Shelby-American would begin its operations in California. From there, Shelby’s rich heritage began to blossom. In September 1963, Cobra production eclipsed 170 and Dan Gurney won at Bridgehampton behind the wheel of a Shelby Cobra, marking the first time an American driver had won an FIA race with an American car.

August 1964 marked a significant milestone, when American automaker Ford asked Carroll Shelby to develop a high-performance Mustang fastback. Later on that year, the first-ever ’65 Shelby Mustang GT350 race and street cars are built. In 1965, Ford turned its GT-40 project over to Shelby-American and the choice immediately pays dividends. At its first race at Daytona, the GT-40 captures its first victory along with the Shelby GT350.

The rest of the 1960s and early 1970s would see Shelby-American making Ford a winner internationally and on American soil. 1966 was another important milestone in Shelby’s career, as it marked the first time an American team had won at Le Mans. A trio of GT-40 Mark IIs crossed the finish line 1-2-3 grabbing the attention of motorsports enthusiasts worldwide.

Shelby would expand his racing program while operating as a team owner, joining the NHRA Drag Racing Series in 1968. A couple of years later, however, Ford would end its long-term racing agreement with Shelby, a few months after Shelby Automotive Racing Company officially closed. In 1974, Shelby would take a break from the automotive industry, traveling the world to develop his own brand of chili.

It wouldn’t be until 1982 that Shelby would return to cars, teaming up with the infamous Lee Iacocca and Chrysler to help create Dodge products. 1982-1989 would be known as ‘The Dodge Years’ as Shelby helped develop prototype Charger and Viper models. In 1985, Shelby’s journey to develop his own brand of chili pays off as Kraft buys up the Carroll Shelby Chili Mix.

In 1990, Shelby’s health condition became more serious and he received a heart transplant. A year later, he would start the Carroll Shelby Heart Fund to help finance organ transplants for children in need. In 1997, Shelby designed and manufactured the first Shelby Series 1 sports car. In 2003, the Ford Shelby Cobra would be revealed at the North American Auto Show and Shelby gets involved with the development of the new Ford GT model.

2005 would see Shelby renewing his partnership with Ford, bringing the high-performance GT500 model. The first 2007 Shelby GT500 was auctioned off at a Barrett-Jackson auction, raising $600,000 for the Carroll Shelby Foundation.

The most recent Shelby GT500 model is undoubtedly a culmination of Shelby’s vision and hard work over the years. In fact, at the car’s debut at the LA Auto Show, Shelby was on hand and called it the, “greatest Mustang ever built.”

It’s hard to imagine how Ford’s performance would have become without Shelby’s involvement. Could you imagine the American automaker pushing 662-hp out of a 5.8-liter V8 all on its own?

His name may be synonymous with American performance, but Carroll Shelby’s impact has gone well beyond American soil.

Carroll Shelby, the automotive legend, died last night at age 89 because of medical complications.

Shelby recently released a statement through Facebook commenting on his health. In it, he addressed concerns about his recent hospital stints, saying he had been battling pneumonia but was comfortable and in good hands. Shelby died in Baylor Hospital last night, presumably of complications stemming from that illness, though official word has yet to be released.

Known best, perhaps even to this day, for his iconic AC Cobras, Carroll Shelby always loved going fast. Born in Leesburg, Texas, in his early days he was known to take his father’s Willy’s to its very reachable limits on a regular basis.

The boy who loved speed, as many know, would make one of the most legendary marks on the auto industry to date. He would go on to a career that included being a race car driver in the ’50s, ultimately winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Maserati in 1959 — his last year.

In the same year, Carroll Shelby first got a license to import the AC Ace cars from Britain which would serve as the body for his soon-to-be-legendary AC Cobra. His formula was simple and potent: pull the straight-six Bristol engine out and replace it with a Ford 260 V8. The result and subsequent versions were electrifying: A light, powerful sports car that was incredibly fast.

It wasn’t long before Carroll Shelby started tuning cars for major auto manufacturers like Dodge with the Viper and most notably the Ford Mustang. Still in production today, the Shelby GT Mustangs continue to gather praise. Most recently the GT500′s 662-hp 5.8-liter V8. With the most powerful production V8 to date, the current GT500 carries on the legendary tradition surrounding his name.

Plagued by health problems that started in his youth and continued through his life including a donated kidney from one of his sons and a heart transplant. Despite those setbacks, Carroll Shelby managed to live an unparalleled life that won’t be soon forgotten. May he rest in peace.

Shelby has been synonymous with the Mustang nameplate since its 2007 re-establishment as Ford‘s halo car producer, but that might be changing soon.

It seems the low-volume performance tuner currently best known for the Shelby GT500 is exploring the possibility of tuning other Ford vehicles to maximize performance., according to AutoBlog.

We already know that a contract to continue producing the GT500 through 2020 is in place, but an interview with Shelby president John Luft hints at more than one product in the future.

Apparently, there’s a chance we could see a Shelby version of the Focus and Fusion.

“Our plans include everything from the Mustang to looking at future development of the EcoBoost motor,” he said. “There could be a Focus or Fusion development in our future.”

GALLERY: 2013 Shelby GT500

[Source: AutoBlog]

Oil barons chuckle and while most of us cringe at gas making the $4 gallon mark. Studies and announcements are abound that climbing fuel prices are herding people like sheep into buying compact cars. So where do gas-suckers like the Shelby GT500 fit in?

Right where they did every other year, at least according to Shelby American president John Luft who confirmed in an interview with Mustangs Daily that the Snake-bearing ‘Stang will remain in the coming Mustang generation.

With 650 horsepower, the GT500 has enough venom to kill an elephant, or make your passenger’s toes curl as you lunge forward. Either way, it seems Ford extended the Shelby contract into 2015, meaning we can expect to see further iterations of the mind-bending muscle car and its 5.8-liter supercharged V8.

“When something works you just don’t change it,” he said. “Clearly, having a Shelby in their stable as their halo car has really worked for them. Ford Motor Company loves it, their dealers love it, and we love it. It gives us a great platform. So we need Ford Motor Company to develop great base cars,” Luft said.

Base cars like the Mustang GT work well as a volume-seller because Ford has the resources to produce several thousand every year, but Luft went on to explain that such volume isn’t part of the Shelby plan. Instead, it hopes to focus on limited production vehicles that boost both companies images.

[Source: Mustangs Daily]

GALLERY: 2013 Shelby GT500

Mustang enthusiasts will probably appreciate a visit to the Ford website if they haven’t already taken one recently thanks to the new Shelby GT500 configurator going live.

While playing dress-up with the man-beast of a muscle car is a far cry from actually feeling the 650 hp it has on tap, you can get a good idea of what options are available, how they will look and what it will cost. We resisted the temptation to deck our car out in AutoGuide colors, partially because the matte black rims look great matching, but also because the new taillights are gorgeous next to the paint noire.

With a starting price of $54,200, the updated super ‘Stang is $5,390 more expensive than the model it replaces, though that price also brings a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 compared to the outgoing 5.4-liter version. WIth that extra displacement, drivers get an extra 100 hp.

Optioned out, the top-tier price tag comes in at $66,485, which includes a Shelby-branded car cover among other fancy options.

Head on over to the configurator to have a little customizable fun for yourself.

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

Perhaps the most important figure regarding the upcoming 2013 Shelby GT500 is its top speed of 200 mph. Best of all the figures on the car however is Ford has announced that this Mustang could be yours for a “mere” $54,995.

A sharp increase of $6,000 over last year’s model, it’s also slightly more than the new Camaro ZL1, which is priced at $54,095.

A larger 5.8-liter V8 engine and a bigger supercharger gives the 2013 GT500 an increase of 100-hp over the out-going 2012 model. Other components joining the powerplant include a new six-speed manual transmission, carbon fiber driveshaft, clutch, and a new final drive real axle with 3.31:1 ratio.

Also available on the GT500 is the new Performance Pack which offers SVT/Bilstein electronically adjustable shocks and a Torsen limited-slip differential. Finally, an optional Track Pack adds an extra engine oil cooler, rear differential cooler and a transmission cooler to manage the sustained high temperatures during a track day.

Despite the absence of rear independent suspension, there’s no denying that the 2013 Shelby GT500 is a complete and well thought out package. Start keeping your eyes peeled for 2013 GT500′s at Standing Mile events starting this summer.

PowerBlock TV will be putting the Factory Five Mk4 Roadster to the test against the original 427 Shelby Cobra. In celebration of that, they are also doing a sweepstakes with the winner getting themselves a do-it-yourself Factory Five Mk4 Roadster kit.

The lucky sweepstakes winner will get an Mk4 chassis and suspension package from Factory Five, a Ford 5.0-liter Coyote powerplant with a six-speed transmission, $5,000 in tools and shop equipment from Matco Tools and Summit Racing Equipment, Weld Racing wheels, Falken Tires and goodies like Royal Purple lubricants. The complete package has an estimated retail value of over $50,000.

PowerBlockTV calls it the ultimate do-it-yourself package. Nothing would be better than having someone essentially sponsor you to build an Mk4 Cobra replica. Click here to enter.

[Source: PowerBlock TV via TopSpeed]

The Shelby Series 1 originally came out in 1999 and was heralded as the only vehicle designed and built from the ground up by Carroll Shelby and his company. Now one of the late production Shelby 1 vehicles produced in 2005 can be yours with just 451-miles on the odometer and a price tag of $129,900.

The Series 1 was developed as a descendant of the legendary Cobra, featuring carbon fiber construction, race-inspired suspension components and a new-age Oldsmobile 4.0L V8 powerplant with 320-hp and 290 lb-ft of torque. The result is a one-of-a-kind sports car that goes 0-60 mph in just 4.4-seconds and runs a 12-second quarter mile time and a top speed of 170-mph.

Suspension wise, Shelby’s Series 1 features coilover shocks and independent rear suspension. Impressively, brakes come from a Chevrolet C5 Corvette, while Shelby outfits each corner with their custom three-piece wheels in a staggered 18×10-inch and 18×12-inch setup.

Inside, the Series 1 is pure luxury with deep leather bucket seats and a custom dash with some off-the-shelf GM components. Even though it carries quite a hefty price tag, it’s a small price to pay for a very rare and perfect piece of machinery.

Check out a video highlighting this collector’s car after the break.

GALLERY: 1999 Shelby Series I

[Source: RK Motors]

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The 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 might not have the wedge shape of a European supercar, but its 202 mph top speed puts it in a rareified world of hand-built Italian exotics.

SVT engineer Jamal Hameedi told MustangsDaily that the GT500 recorded a top speed of 202 mph during testing, thanks to the improved power figures and some apparent aerodynamic changes. Hameedi also said that while Ford was doing suspension testing at the famed Nurburgring, they didn’t record any times for the GT500, avoiding the typical Nurburgring bragging rights contest that so many automakers fall prey to.

[Source: MustangsDaily]

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness obviously never had a Shelby Cobra and an empty living room.

The exact reason for this extreme level of hoonage isn’t known. Maybe the bank foreclosed on his house. Maybe, as one YouTube commented speculates, the talented driver in question just went through a divorce: he got the car, she go the house.

Either way, this is one of those occasions where words just won’t do, so watch the video after the jump:

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