Carroll Shelby Celebrated 86 On Sunday

If you know Mustangs, you know of Carroll Shelby. This former race car driver turned automotive visionary knows a thing or two about FAST. As such he celebrated his 86th birthday in style on Sunday when he showed off his new 2010 Shelby GT500 Mustang at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Earlier in the week Mr. Shelby participated in the 2009 Shelby Bash held at his factory in Las Vegas, Nev. The event, January 8-11, brought out Shelby enthusiasts from around the world as they celebrated four days of Shelby fun. This included a Mustang cruise from Los Angeles, a traditional chili cook-off, car show, open track sessions at the Las Vegas Speedway, and a tour of Shelby's recently redesigned factory museum. A Shelby Heritage Center is under development as part of the new museum. It will offer access to records, data and memorabilia from Mr. Carroll Shelby’s racing career and vehicles built by his companies. Records, including a registry, will be available for review on-site.

In all, there's no doubt Carroll Shelby is a living legend. From the GT350 to the GT500KR, his Mustangs have won over the hearts of performance enthusiasts around the world. Happy Birthday Mr. Shelby!

Related:

• Bio: About Carroll Shelby
  
• Carroll Shelby's 1969 GT-500 Convertible
  
• Shelby Mustang Profiles
  
• Shelby Mustang Photos
  

Photo © Ford Motor Company