Shelby
Shelby American, Inc. is a legendary American high-performance vehicle manufacturer and tuning company, founded in 1962 by Carroll Shelby, one of the most iconic figures in motorsport history. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Shelby has become synonymous with raw power, racing heritage, and uniquely American performance engineering.
Carroll Shelby’s vision was simple yet revolutionary: to take lightweight British sports cars and infuse them with powerful American V8 engines. This idea gave birth to the Shelby Cobra, one of the most celebrated sports cars of all time. The Cobra became an instant icon of 1960s performance, dominating both road and track while cementing Shelby’s reputation for fearless innovation.
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Shelby’s influence reached even greater heights through its historic partnership with Ford Motor Company. Together, they developed the legendary Shelby GT350 and GT500 Mustangs, transforming Ford’s muscle car into a race-winning machine with world-class performance. The partnership culminated in the Ford GT40 program, where Shelby-led engineering helped secure an astonishing victory at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, defeating Ferrari and marking a defining moment in American motorsport history.
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Through the decades, Shelby vehicles have embodied the spirit of racing: lightweight, powerful, and uncompromising. Whether it was the Cobra Daytona Coupe breaking speed records or the modern GT500 delivering supercharged muscle on the road, Shelby cars have always stood for performance at the highest level.
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Today, Shelby American continues Carroll Shelby’s legacy by producing limited-edition, high-performance versions of Ford vehicles, including the Shelby Super Snake, Shelby F-150, Shelby GT500KR, and the continuation series of the original Cobras. These vehicles are handcrafted in Las Vegas, blending heritage design cues with cutting-edge performance technology to deliver cars that are as collectible as they are exhilarating to drive.
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Shelby is also deeply embedded in American culture and motorsport history. The Cobra remains one of the most replicated and admired cars in the world, while original models fetch record-breaking prices at auctions. Shelby clubs and enthusiast communities span the globe, celebrating both the man and the machines that changed the landscape of performance driving forever.
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Carroll Shelby’s motto, “Performance is my business,” still defines the company today. From the racetrack to the open highway, Shelby American stands as a symbol of speed, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence — a living legacy of one man’s relentless drive to build cars that thrill.
