The Mustang was introduced to America on April 17, 1964 and its origins precede date by several years. The Shelby GT - 350s commenced production in the first months of 1965, but their history easily predates that of the standard Mustang or Carroll Shelby Mustang.
During the mid-to late 1950s Carroll Shelby enjoyed a remarkable competitive driving career, with three national championships in sports cars a spot on the Aston Martin team, and significant victories in Europe that included a 1959 when at the 24-hour of Le Mans. During those years he established a memorable image: a lanky Texan chicken farmer in overalls and cowboy hat. He would scratch his head say “aw shucks” then go out and win a race. After a raise he would shucks some more, but he was no country fool. Carroll shall be astutely recognize that although they were agile, most European sports cars lack the raw torque available in small American engines. He knew that combining prop or handling with abundant, lightweight power would create a winner. Unfortunately they try to act upon those first ideas and a proposal said to involve General Motors eight cylinder core of the engine and chassis his efforts were stymied. Others laugh that his ideas and he did not have the hard cash to pursue his plan. Still the concept remains on his mind. Not long after the Le Mans pinnacle, health problems forced Carroll Shelby into retirement. According early condition that would lead to numerous bypass operations and finally a 1991 heart transplant.
In 1960, after learning that Ford had developed a 221ci V-8, he kicked into high gear. He mentally pictured that engine in something like an Austin Healey, a car when 2500 pounds or less. After a few months of investigative legwork, some help from her friend and future associate Lew Spencer, a few prospective designs and some shuffling of ideas, Carroll Shelby finally put it together. 1961 he convinced both a AC cars in England and Ford Motor Company in Detroit that he could combine the AC chassis and Ford small block engine to create a world-class sports car. The Cobra was born cow shall be pulled but off in the Dennis of budgets a great sense of how to deal with the automotive media, and occasionally slights of hand. But he made it work not only did his broad room and telephone tap dance turned executives into believers and reporters into supporters, but Shelby leaped passed his goal and took his enterprise into the future into the realms of production and racing can't crest no one imagined at the start. The 260 Cobras 289 Cobras, Cobra Daytona Coupes, King Cobra, 427 Cobra and selected Ford GT 40s for its their marks on the automotive world.
