Shelby's Ultimate Insult...
AKA 1 BULLITT------------ Legacy TMS Member
Joined: January 29, 2004
Posts: 7,738
Likes: 361
From: U S A
... I would offer that it is too easy to question a mans lifes work, credibility and integrity from the relative safety of a seat behind a keyboard on a forum. I seriously doubt that any of us would bold enough to be this critical in a face to face situation with Shelby...
Cobra R Member
Joined: May 17, 2007
Posts: 1,574
Likes: 0
From: London, ON. Canada
Well there is a lot to read through in those threads at clubcobra, but one thing stands out. Amy B is a true professional in every sense of the word. She handles herself very well in all of her posts.
She avoids being dragged into flame wars with all those losers who like to post crap ( and have nothing constructive to say).
Some say it's all about money- and for certain money plays a part in it. But it certainly sounds like Shelby is putting lots of money into this new site. 200K thus far. Anyone else think SAAC is spending that kind of money?
People ***** about the membership dues of $50 a year. That's nothing! A t-shirt (which is included) is going to cost you $20+, you get a magazine, e-newsletters, access to the special sections of the website.
Hell, I'll bet many of the complainers are shelling out $30 A MONTH to some online gay **** site (not that there is anything wrong with that).
It sounds like the owners of SAAC did this to themselves in some regards. It doesn't sound like they were very open to some ideas/inputs that Carroll had. I suppose they felt they were bigger than the man himself.
So I don't blame Shelby at all for wanting to get things under his control.
And everyone of us would do the same thing!
She avoids being dragged into flame wars with all those losers who like to post crap ( and have nothing constructive to say).
Some say it's all about money- and for certain money plays a part in it. But it certainly sounds like Shelby is putting lots of money into this new site. 200K thus far. Anyone else think SAAC is spending that kind of money?
People ***** about the membership dues of $50 a year. That's nothing! A t-shirt (which is included) is going to cost you $20+, you get a magazine, e-newsletters, access to the special sections of the website.
Hell, I'll bet many of the complainers are shelling out $30 A MONTH to some online gay **** site (not that there is anything wrong with that).
It sounds like the owners of SAAC did this to themselves in some regards. It doesn't sound like they were very open to some ideas/inputs that Carroll had. I suppose they felt they were bigger than the man himself.
So I don't blame Shelby at all for wanting to get things under his control.
And everyone of us would do the same thing!
Bullitt Member
Joined: October 12, 2004
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
I think it's safe to say that no one on this board or any other board has full knowledge or understanding of the facts behind this decision, myself included. As such, all we have is personal judgements based upon speculation and conjecture. In time the facts will reveal themselves and the air will become clearer.
You see, it really is like a political or religious discussion, no one is right
You see, it really is like a political or religious discussion, no one is right
Mach 1 Member
Joined: July 23, 2005
Posts: 733
Likes: 1
It's easy to bash Shelby, since he has made some unfortunate business decisions in his life. He's not stupid by any means, although he evidently doesn't have a great mind for the details of business. But he certainly has contributed greatly to the world of motorsports. At the end of the day, he'll be remembered as a great sportsman, an innovative entrepreneur, and a humanitarian. We should all do so well.
V6 Member
Joined: October 9, 2004
Posts: 52
Likes: 2
Thread Starter
V6 Member
Joined: October 14, 2004
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From Autoextremist.com...
It looks like "Ol' Shel" is back to his ol' tricks again. Detroit.
There's no doubt that Carroll Shelby, the free-wheeling Texan and ex-race driver behind the famous Ford-powered Cobra from the 60s - a brilliant blend of California hot-rod know-how and a light but fragile AC cars-built sports car chassis from England - made history. The magnificent Cobra, probably the most seductive combination of visceral all-American V-8 power and brute speed ever unleashed on the American landscape, is still the iconic sports cars of that once golden era, or for any era, for that matter.
Shelby and his band of California hot-rodder cohorts - made up of some of the most naturally-gifted talent ever assembled on a racing team - stood the racing world on its ear in one of the most glorious chapters of American racing history. His team's achievements will survive for all time, and the legend surrounding those cars and the talented individuals who were part of that fleeting moment in racing history will live on too. But there was always another side to Shelby - the one that didn't endear him to many and ultimately ****ed-off quite a few over the years - and that was his mercenary mentality that seemed to infect everything he did.
This was a man who spent virtually his entire career never really appreciating the moment because he was so wrapped-up in wrangling his next buck. When the insurance industry began to clamp-down on the muscle car mania in the U.S. in the late 60s, Shelby sensed that the Cobra's time had passed. Racing had changed too. His Cobra roadsters were replaced by the beautiful Peter Brock-designed "Daytona" Cobra coupes, which were eventually replaced by the Ford GT during the mid-engine racing car revolution, so he cut a deal with Ford and sold his name, so they could continue building "Shelby" Mustangs, even though the later models bore no resemblance to the raucous and unruly early versions that tore-up race tracks all across the country.
But as always Shelby didn't care, it was the deal he was most interested in. He looked upon his iconic Cobra as so much dead weight and scrap by then, and he sold-off most of the remnants of that era without flinching - because there was no action in busted-up old race cars or yesterday's street cars. And he was ready to move on to other things. He would have a falling out with Ford shortly after, a situation that wouldn't be resolved for nearly 30 years, and not long after he moved on to his next project - lending his name and reputation to Lee Iacocca - so that he could help the cigar-chomping ex-Ford sales guru inject some life into a decidedly moribund product lineup at Chrysler. The resulting "Shelby"-branded front-wheel-drive "K-car"-based cars made the Cobra faithful cringe, but it didn't surprise those who knew Shelby well, because after all, it was always about the deal for Shelby, and his Chrysler adventure was just another example of that.
Meanwhile, a phenomenon was building all over the country. Even though Shelby couldn't care less about his Cobra, there were plenty of people who did, including a hard-core group of Cobra enthusiasts who formed the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC). These folks were dedicated to the preservation and complete documentation of Shelby's vehicles - from Cobras to Mustangs - and basically kept the flame going for Shelby. But there was something else happening with the whole Cobra "thing" too, because entrepreneurs were starting to come out of the woodwork to build "replica" Shelby Cobras. And it became a booming business.
People were making some serious dough building excellent and in some cases outstanding Cobra replicas. Slowly, but surely, Shelby began to acknowledge his history and started to appear at SAAC events, autographing the glove boxes and trunk lids of his cars - both real and replicas - and enjoying all of the back-slapping and the boot polishing being directed toward him as he was treated like a king. Then, as if right on cue, Shelby, the guy who couldn't have been bothered about history when he sold the remnants of the Cobra adventure for scrap, started to get ****ed-off that so many people were making serious money off of his Cobra. And that was absolutely the last straw.
Shelby hated anyone getting between him and making a buck, and even though he was the one who decided long before that his "old" sports cars didn't amount to squat in value, all of a sudden the "legacy" of his car became of paramount concern to him, and he went on a binge suing everybody in sight in order to "protect" his name and his Cobra from these interlopers. He even tried to copyright the body design of the Cobra, even though its design lineage could be traced back through at least two Italian sports cars before the AC Bristol, the car the Cobra was based on. Fortunately, the courts told him to go pound sand on that last point.
Of course, there were other Shelby adventures that occupied his time too. He tried to resurrect the spirit of the Cobra with the Dodge Viper, and even though the real car never equaled the concept, it still survives today, albeit with no real connection to Shelby whatsoever. He tried to cash in on his legacy one more time with an ill-fated sports car project using Oldsmobile Aurora power, with the whole project running out of juice long before anyone cared. He even reconciled with Ford, more for the money than for any of the other noble reasons (tradition, history, etc.) bandied about at the time when the announcement was made. And Ford now uses the Shelby name every chance it gets today.
And, as of late, since he's on borrowed time health-wise (he's a heart transplant recipient) and he's in his 80s, and while in the course of doing heart-related charity work through his foundation, he's been on a crusade to consolidate all of his interests and solidify his reputation and legacy once and for all. His latest target? The Shelby American Automobile Club. Shelby is not renewing the licensing agreement with the club, figuring there has to be money to be made in there somewhere, and he's demanding - through his lawyers - that the club turn over all of its research data and other information (its Shelby American World Registry published every ten years is the "bible" for anything and everything having to do with the documentation, authentication and owner history of Shelby cars) accumulated since January 1, 1996, and anything to do with their business, including their financial statements (which Shelby has no right to), so he can start his own Shelby club, which will replace the SAAC. Just like that. Nice.
The SAAC has been Shelby's champion for 33 years, literally making an icon out of the guy. Back in the dark days when Shelby was ****ing away his time on his latest money-generating idea of the week, the SAAC kept the Shelby legacy alive. It could even be argued that without the SAAC, Shelby's stature in this business would be seriously diminished from the lofty perch he occupies today. But that really doesn't matter much at this point because with this move, Shelby has once again confirmed for everyone what he's been about since Day One. And it's not about the legacy of the Cobra or "protecting" his name or anything like that. It's not about the championships or the men and women who helped him achieve racing history. No, it's about the money, pure and simple. Which could be a problem in this case, because it is seriously doubtful that any of Shelby's new hired hands could ever create or run a club as well as the SAAC has been run up to this point (a club that's considered to be one of the finest of its kind in the world). Not to mention the fact that Shelby probably should have been paying the SAAC all of these years for the job they've done in protecting and perpetuating his legacy and the legacy of the Cobra. Ah, but that's notgonnahappen.com, because as we all know Shelby never pays for anything if he can possibly avoid doing so.
Needless to say, this move isn't going over well with the Cobra faithful at the SAAC who long ago figured out that there was more than a little something to all those tales about the "other" side of Shelby. Inside sources tell me that Shelby personally called every SAAC registrar who currently works for the club and requested that they all come and work for him at his "new" club. Every one of them said, "No, thanks." Ouch. And other SAAC officials are being steadfast in their belief that after more than three decades, the information that the SAAC has worked so hard to accumulate is proprietary, and that Shelby has no right or claim to it, and to make its point, the SAAC is gathering proper legal representation.
It is said that all of the maneuvering that Shelby is doing now is being done in the name of protecting his legacy after he's gone. But other than the magnificent original cars themselves, that legacy has been left in tatters by one too many schemes, one too many quick-buck deals, and turning his back one too many times on the people who helped create that legacy in the first place. Yes, a "new" Shelby club will get created somehow, but the damage has already been done, and the value of this new organization will be dubious, at best. Meanwhile, a lot of the people who kept the Shelby flame alive all these years will now be walking away from him - for good. Thanks for listening, see you next Wednesday.
There's no doubt that Carroll Shelby, the free-wheeling Texan and ex-race driver behind the famous Ford-powered Cobra from the 60s - a brilliant blend of California hot-rod know-how and a light but fragile AC cars-built sports car chassis from England - made history. The magnificent Cobra, probably the most seductive combination of visceral all-American V-8 power and brute speed ever unleashed on the American landscape, is still the iconic sports cars of that once golden era, or for any era, for that matter.
Shelby and his band of California hot-rodder cohorts - made up of some of the most naturally-gifted talent ever assembled on a racing team - stood the racing world on its ear in one of the most glorious chapters of American racing history. His team's achievements will survive for all time, and the legend surrounding those cars and the talented individuals who were part of that fleeting moment in racing history will live on too. But there was always another side to Shelby - the one that didn't endear him to many and ultimately ****ed-off quite a few over the years - and that was his mercenary mentality that seemed to infect everything he did.
This was a man who spent virtually his entire career never really appreciating the moment because he was so wrapped-up in wrangling his next buck. When the insurance industry began to clamp-down on the muscle car mania in the U.S. in the late 60s, Shelby sensed that the Cobra's time had passed. Racing had changed too. His Cobra roadsters were replaced by the beautiful Peter Brock-designed "Daytona" Cobra coupes, which were eventually replaced by the Ford GT during the mid-engine racing car revolution, so he cut a deal with Ford and sold his name, so they could continue building "Shelby" Mustangs, even though the later models bore no resemblance to the raucous and unruly early versions that tore-up race tracks all across the country.
But as always Shelby didn't care, it was the deal he was most interested in. He looked upon his iconic Cobra as so much dead weight and scrap by then, and he sold-off most of the remnants of that era without flinching - because there was no action in busted-up old race cars or yesterday's street cars. And he was ready to move on to other things. He would have a falling out with Ford shortly after, a situation that wouldn't be resolved for nearly 30 years, and not long after he moved on to his next project - lending his name and reputation to Lee Iacocca - so that he could help the cigar-chomping ex-Ford sales guru inject some life into a decidedly moribund product lineup at Chrysler. The resulting "Shelby"-branded front-wheel-drive "K-car"-based cars made the Cobra faithful cringe, but it didn't surprise those who knew Shelby well, because after all, it was always about the deal for Shelby, and his Chrysler adventure was just another example of that.
Meanwhile, a phenomenon was building all over the country. Even though Shelby couldn't care less about his Cobra, there were plenty of people who did, including a hard-core group of Cobra enthusiasts who formed the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC). These folks were dedicated to the preservation and complete documentation of Shelby's vehicles - from Cobras to Mustangs - and basically kept the flame going for Shelby. But there was something else happening with the whole Cobra "thing" too, because entrepreneurs were starting to come out of the woodwork to build "replica" Shelby Cobras. And it became a booming business.
People were making some serious dough building excellent and in some cases outstanding Cobra replicas. Slowly, but surely, Shelby began to acknowledge his history and started to appear at SAAC events, autographing the glove boxes and trunk lids of his cars - both real and replicas - and enjoying all of the back-slapping and the boot polishing being directed toward him as he was treated like a king. Then, as if right on cue, Shelby, the guy who couldn't have been bothered about history when he sold the remnants of the Cobra adventure for scrap, started to get ****ed-off that so many people were making serious money off of his Cobra. And that was absolutely the last straw.
Shelby hated anyone getting between him and making a buck, and even though he was the one who decided long before that his "old" sports cars didn't amount to squat in value, all of a sudden the "legacy" of his car became of paramount concern to him, and he went on a binge suing everybody in sight in order to "protect" his name and his Cobra from these interlopers. He even tried to copyright the body design of the Cobra, even though its design lineage could be traced back through at least two Italian sports cars before the AC Bristol, the car the Cobra was based on. Fortunately, the courts told him to go pound sand on that last point.
Of course, there were other Shelby adventures that occupied his time too. He tried to resurrect the spirit of the Cobra with the Dodge Viper, and even though the real car never equaled the concept, it still survives today, albeit with no real connection to Shelby whatsoever. He tried to cash in on his legacy one more time with an ill-fated sports car project using Oldsmobile Aurora power, with the whole project running out of juice long before anyone cared. He even reconciled with Ford, more for the money than for any of the other noble reasons (tradition, history, etc.) bandied about at the time when the announcement was made. And Ford now uses the Shelby name every chance it gets today.
And, as of late, since he's on borrowed time health-wise (he's a heart transplant recipient) and he's in his 80s, and while in the course of doing heart-related charity work through his foundation, he's been on a crusade to consolidate all of his interests and solidify his reputation and legacy once and for all. His latest target? The Shelby American Automobile Club. Shelby is not renewing the licensing agreement with the club, figuring there has to be money to be made in there somewhere, and he's demanding - through his lawyers - that the club turn over all of its research data and other information (its Shelby American World Registry published every ten years is the "bible" for anything and everything having to do with the documentation, authentication and owner history of Shelby cars) accumulated since January 1, 1996, and anything to do with their business, including their financial statements (which Shelby has no right to), so he can start his own Shelby club, which will replace the SAAC. Just like that. Nice.
The SAAC has been Shelby's champion for 33 years, literally making an icon out of the guy. Back in the dark days when Shelby was ****ing away his time on his latest money-generating idea of the week, the SAAC kept the Shelby legacy alive. It could even be argued that without the SAAC, Shelby's stature in this business would be seriously diminished from the lofty perch he occupies today. But that really doesn't matter much at this point because with this move, Shelby has once again confirmed for everyone what he's been about since Day One. And it's not about the legacy of the Cobra or "protecting" his name or anything like that. It's not about the championships or the men and women who helped him achieve racing history. No, it's about the money, pure and simple. Which could be a problem in this case, because it is seriously doubtful that any of Shelby's new hired hands could ever create or run a club as well as the SAAC has been run up to this point (a club that's considered to be one of the finest of its kind in the world). Not to mention the fact that Shelby probably should have been paying the SAAC all of these years for the job they've done in protecting and perpetuating his legacy and the legacy of the Cobra. Ah, but that's notgonnahappen.com, because as we all know Shelby never pays for anything if he can possibly avoid doing so.
Needless to say, this move isn't going over well with the Cobra faithful at the SAAC who long ago figured out that there was more than a little something to all those tales about the "other" side of Shelby. Inside sources tell me that Shelby personally called every SAAC registrar who currently works for the club and requested that they all come and work for him at his "new" club. Every one of them said, "No, thanks." Ouch. And other SAAC officials are being steadfast in their belief that after more than three decades, the information that the SAAC has worked so hard to accumulate is proprietary, and that Shelby has no right or claim to it, and to make its point, the SAAC is gathering proper legal representation.
It is said that all of the maneuvering that Shelby is doing now is being done in the name of protecting his legacy after he's gone. But other than the magnificent original cars themselves, that legacy has been left in tatters by one too many schemes, one too many quick-buck deals, and turning his back one too many times on the people who helped create that legacy in the first place. Yes, a "new" Shelby club will get created somehow, but the damage has already been done, and the value of this new organization will be dubious, at best. Meanwhile, a lot of the people who kept the Shelby flame alive all these years will now be walking away from him - for good. Thanks for listening, see you next Wednesday.
AKA 1 BULLITT------------ Legacy TMS Member
Joined: January 29, 2004
Posts: 7,738
Likes: 361
From: U S A
Bow Chica Bow Wow
TMS Staff
TMS Staff
Joined: January 29, 2004
Posts: 7,446
Likes: 12
From: Proudly in NJ...bite it FL
Thanks Perry that pretty much says what we've (level headed people, You decide if you are one) have know about him for eons now.
And JonW hope you keep those fond memories because they are vastly different from mine and much more optomistic.
And JonW hope you keep those fond memories because they are vastly different from mine and much more optomistic.
GT Member
Joined: October 22, 2007
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
As a thoroughly disinterested third party I've come to the conclusion that this whole mess has less to do with Shelby himself and more to do with managers and lawyers.
I've seen him at Barrett Jackson, watched him on a number of automotive related reality TV shows and really can't see how he'd even have the energy to get involved in anything like this.
They guy can barely walk and seems to not be firing on all cylinders most of the time. EVery time he makes an appearance great pains are taken to try to hide the frailty. I think the longest quote I've seen from him on TV was at one of the auctions and that was maybe one sentence.
I'm not saying he's a senile, depends wearing, involent but his health issues and his age probably preclude him from getting too excited about anything. I also don't believe he has a whole lot to do with the engineering of anything recently badged as "Shelby".
It's likely his cadre are trying to cash in while he's still breathing. Heck, they even propped him up to do an endorsement for ZMAX that still runs on late night TV. Admittedly it does look about 10 years old, however.
I'm not excusing him from any perceived sins, I'm just saying that all this conflict may be coming from another source. A source hiding behind his name is likely the real villan here and that is an abomination in itself.
just my .02..
I've seen him at Barrett Jackson, watched him on a number of automotive related reality TV shows and really can't see how he'd even have the energy to get involved in anything like this.
They guy can barely walk and seems to not be firing on all cylinders most of the time. EVery time he makes an appearance great pains are taken to try to hide the frailty. I think the longest quote I've seen from him on TV was at one of the auctions and that was maybe one sentence.
I'm not saying he's a senile, depends wearing, involent but his health issues and his age probably preclude him from getting too excited about anything. I also don't believe he has a whole lot to do with the engineering of anything recently badged as "Shelby".
It's likely his cadre are trying to cash in while he's still breathing. Heck, they even propped him up to do an endorsement for ZMAX that still runs on late night TV. Admittedly it does look about 10 years old, however.
I'm not excusing him from any perceived sins, I'm just saying that all this conflict may be coming from another source. A source hiding behind his name is likely the real villan here and that is an abomination in itself.
just my .02..
AKA 1 BULLITT------------ Legacy TMS Member
Joined: January 29, 2004
Posts: 7,738
Likes: 361
From: U S A
I just reread the early and additional posts of the link provided on the first post of this topic. It is enlightening with a lot of interesting information and perspectives, some coming from what seems to be former diehard Shelby fans and people who have dealt or been in direct contact with Carroll Shelby, his associates, or representatives. The form of articulate expressions integrated with factual history from many of the posters is nothing less than impressive.
http://saacforum.com/index.php?topic...;boardseen#new
Bullitt Member
Joined: October 12, 2004
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
I politely disagree.
I just reread the early and additional posts of the link provided on the first post of this topic. It is enlightening with a lot of interesting information and perspectives, some coming from what seems to be former diehard Shelby fans and people who have dealt or been in direct contact with Carroll Shelby, his associates, or representatives. The form of articulate expressions integrated with factual history from many of the posters is nothing less than impressive.
http://saacforum.com/index.php?topic...;boardseen#new
I just reread the early and additional posts of the link provided on the first post of this topic. It is enlightening with a lot of interesting information and perspectives, some coming from what seems to be former diehard Shelby fans and people who have dealt or been in direct contact with Carroll Shelby, his associates, or representatives. The form of articulate expressions integrated with factual history from many of the posters is nothing less than impressive.
http://saacforum.com/index.php?topic...;boardseen#new
All the rest is personal speculation, hearsay and supposition. Break ups are ugly and often the true reasons behind them are only know to the few in the inner most circles. Personally, I believe very little of what I read on the net, especially in forums.
The only reason I even bothered to join the conversation is to try and help defuse all the flames and hope that cooler heads would previal until more FACTS are known and made public. In reality, we are all just wasting our time even bothering with this subject, we don't know squat.
AKA 1 BULLITT------------ Legacy TMS Member
Joined: January 29, 2004
Posts: 7,738
Likes: 361
From: U S A
The scent always leads to the smell which always leads to the source.
I take SAAC's side not because they are likely to be 100% right but because of all the effort spent on glorifying and promoting Carroll Shelby and the Cobra. The benefit ripped from their efforts can be ignored but not denied. One would think a bit of tolerance and gratitude might be afforded to a club which have promoted and provided so much in Shelby's behalf but as many others they've been brought down to reality. In a way it serves them right.
"... Recession is when your neighbor loses his job, depression is when you lose yours..."
- Ronald Reagan, 1979
I take SAAC's side not because they are likely to be 100% right but because of all the effort spent on glorifying and promoting Carroll Shelby and the Cobra. The benefit ripped from their efforts can be ignored but not denied. One would think a bit of tolerance and gratitude might be afforded to a club which have promoted and provided so much in Shelby's behalf but as many others they've been brought down to reality. In a way it serves them right.
"... Recession is when your neighbor loses his job, depression is when you lose yours..."
- Ronald Reagan, 1979
Thread Starter
V6 Member
Joined: October 14, 2004
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
All the rest is personal speculation, hearsay and supposition. Break ups are ugly and often the true reasons behind them are only know to the few in the inner most circles. Personally, I believe very little of what I read on the net, especially in forums.
The only reason I even bothered to join the conversation is to try and help defuse all the flames and hope that cooler heads would previal until more FACTS are known and made public. In reality, we are all just wasting our time even bothering with this subject, we don't know squat.
The only reason I even bothered to join the conversation is to try and help defuse all the flames and hope that cooler heads would previal until more FACTS are known and made public. In reality, we are all just wasting our time even bothering with this subject, we don't know squat.
It's quite a powerful cult of personality he has to have people that are so subjectively myopic in his favor.
Without folks that, time after time after time, continue to give him the benefit of the doubt, this would have stopped a long time ago. He would have either cut it out and taken his rightful place in the history of motorsports or kept it up and been rightfully shunned.
He's making a joke out of himself, and that is partly the fault of those that don't call him for his blatantly incredulous behavior.
BTW - I'm importing a Lotus Elise next month. I'm going to install a Ford V8 into it, sell it, and file a trademark application on the shape of the Elise.
Thread Starter
V6 Member
Joined: October 14, 2004
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
I'll take that as declination from any uncomfortable (and vitually impossible to succeed at) attempts to explain how Ol' Shel's actions are compatible with yet another blind eye.
I'd love for you to be right... I really would, but unless you've got more to offer to the discussion than we don't have all the facts, a bad Frankenstein analogy, and "okay I give up I'm leaving" you're not going to convince many people.
Manually adding a sig here so that whatever credibity comes along with listing all of your Ford and Shelby related products is duly bestowed to my opinion:
______________________________________
1965 Fastback (2)
1968 Fastback
1968 Shelby GT500
1969 Coupe
1969 Mach 1
1969 Shelby GT500
1986 Mustang GT
1996 SVT Cobra Convertible
A picture of 12 year old me with the man himself
3 Packets of Shelby Chilli
1 Bottle of Zmax
I'd love for you to be right... I really would, but unless you've got more to offer to the discussion than we don't have all the facts, a bad Frankenstein analogy, and "okay I give up I'm leaving" you're not going to convince many people.
Manually adding a sig here so that whatever credibity comes along with listing all of your Ford and Shelby related products is duly bestowed to my opinion:
______________________________________
1965 Fastback (2)
1968 Fastback
1968 Shelby GT500
1969 Coupe
1969 Mach 1
1969 Shelby GT500
1986 Mustang GT
1996 SVT Cobra Convertible
A picture of 12 year old me with the man himself
3 Packets of Shelby Chilli
1 Bottle of Zmax
Bullitt Member
Joined: October 12, 2004
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
I tried to duck out on a humorous note, but I guess it didn't translate that way... oh well
I try very hard not to pass judgement or take a position on anything until I'm comfortable that I've heard all sides and have enough facts, but that's just me. Like everyone else, I'd like to understand the motivation behind this and try not to speculate too much.
Anyway, everytime I try to contribute to the discussion, I seem to stir s**t up, so I'll get back on the bench and let the dialog flow. Thanks for letting me play along with the big boys (another attempt at humor)
I try very hard not to pass judgement or take a position on anything until I'm comfortable that I've heard all sides and have enough facts, but that's just me. Like everyone else, I'd like to understand the motivation behind this and try not to speculate too much.
Anyway, everytime I try to contribute to the discussion, I seem to stir s**t up, so I'll get back on the bench and let the dialog flow. Thanks for letting me play along with the big boys (another attempt at humor)
Thread Starter
V6 Member
Joined: October 14, 2004
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
Let's see...
Shelby sells his name to Ford in 1967 and they make 1968-1970 GT350s and GT500s. Ford later makes a 1984 car with GT350 on it and Carroll sues. Exactly what was sold to Ford again? Okay - there are perhaps some circumstances that could explain this - like Ford didn't use the mark for 14 years so it abandoned those rights and Shelby was able to reassert them - even though he himself didn't use that mark in the meantime either - but okay let's give him a pass on this one for the time being...
Then...
He sues multiple kit car manufacturers to "protect the value and legacy of the cars" and "keep poor copies of the original from being made". Well, the first motivation seems to be negated by the fact that he "found" a warehouse full of "unfinished cobras" that he planned to finish. Does the story of "finding" some unfinished cars some 30 years later not sound a bit fishy? The later motivation seems to be negated by many of the "poor copies" being mechanically superior to the originals.
Someone reading between the lines would be more than reasonable in thinking that perhaps Ol' Shel' saw the million+ dollar market that had grown up around a car that he abandoned years ago and decided to use legal wrangling to wipe out the competition (and the livelihood of owners of quite a few companies at the same time) so that he could charge whatever he wanted for the ones he miraculously discovered one of the myriad of random free warehouse spaces scattered across the country (I'm still trying to find where to sign up.)
Oh - and remember that he attempted to obtain exclusive legal rights in the shape of a car that was built and sold for years before the name Cobra was ever attached to it.
In further protection of the value of the cars he also makes extra Shelbys - 1966 convertibles and some pimped out version of a 1967 car in a movie - the company manufacturing said car coincidentally being recently raided and shut down.
Now in the latest debacle he has filed for a trademark on the acronym and company name "SAAC" a mark he knows full well has been in use by others that looked up to him, recorded his accomplishments, called him friend, and even attempted to support him through all of the other mess listed above.
How much more information do you need to make up your mind? Short of a device that can download his thoughts to a text format for display on the Internet I don't see how it could get much clearer. And further facts won't be forthcoming unless this goes to trial. If it settles then you and I won't know anything more than we know now.
Call me a knee jerk reactionary if you like, but it seems plain as day to me, and well past ripe for one to form an educated opinion.