Racing and automotive design legend Carroll Hall Shelby was an American maverick. A well-known name among gearheads and racing enthusiasts, Shelby, through his skills, shot himself into the limelight with a burst of consistent top-level performances on the racetracks for as long as his health did permit. He then moved on, cementing his name in the annals of automotive fabrication history, by designing some of the best-performance cars the world had ever seen.
Notably, the iconic American was also Ferrari’s nemesis. Not only did he get a victory behind the wheels of an Aston Martin, over the Prancing Horse’s team at the tracks, but he also helped Ford build cars that effectively relegated the domineering Ferrari racing team. Shelby redefined automotive performance through Ford cars that include Cobras and Mustangs. He also partnered with other companies like Chrysler and GM. However, Carroll Shelby since passed on in 2012, but his legacy, which transcends the automotive scene, lives on.
10 Born In A Tiny Texas Town
Carroll Shelby was born on January 11, 1923 in Leesburg — then a small town of about 150 people, located in Texas. His father, Warren Hall Shelby, was a rural mail carrier, and he was married to Eloise Lawrence Shelby, Carroll Shelby’s mother. Carroll Shelby loved the fast life even as a young boy.
While on mail delivery trips with his dad, Carroll Shelby was often seen urging his dad to drive faster, in their 1928 Whippet. In 1938, Shelby got his first car, a Willys.
9 Studied Aeronautics
A man of many interests, Shelby had developed a keen interest in the mechanics of operations of several things very early in his life. He was fascinated by cars, loved riding shotgun in dad’s, and couldn’t wait to get his. He eventually got a Willys while still attending Woodrow Wilson High School, helping him become a decent driver.
However, Shelby’s love for engine-powered automotive assumed a new dimension after high school, when he enrolled in The Georgia Institute of Technology, to study Aeronautical Engineering.
8 Could Fly Planes
Carroll Shelby flew planes in the Army Air Corps. Formed during the Second World War, the Army Air Corps (AAC) is an airborne unit of the British Army. Shelby joined the Army Air Corps in 1941 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in December 1942.
He served as a flight instructor and flew several aircraft for the ACC, some of which includes heavy bombers like the Douglas A-26 Invader, the North American B-25 Mitchell, and the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
7 Had A Poultry
The Second World War ended and Shelby had to leave the Army Air Corps to start his life afresh back home. On getting home, the war returnee tried his hands at a couple of jobs which includes preparing ready-mix concrete, rough necking in the oil fields, and chicken poultry.
He stopped them all; he hated working on oil rigs, while the poultry he had quit the concrete business to start, crumbled. In just three days, 40,000 of his 70,000 chickens had died of Limberneck disease.
6 Won Le Mans
As expected, among his numerous racing victories, Shelby claimed he cherished his 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans victory the most. Driving an Aston Martin DBR1, Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori won the race, while Paul Frere, co-driving with Maurice Trintignant came a close second.
With Ferrari being the team to beat, a third Aston Martin car comprising Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman, on the team’s order drove as fast as they could, luring Ferraris to wear themselves out. The strategy worked, leaving Shelby to coast steadily to victory.
5 Did Plastic Surgery
There’s a huge risk in having to constantly drive at top speed for racing glory, and Shelby has had close shaves with death on some occasions. In 1954, while racing a Healey in the Carrera Panamericana (known to be one of the most dangerous races in the world), Shelby crashed, got seriously injured, and required about 8 months of treatment.
Also, in September 1957, Shelby crashed John Edgar’s Maserati at the Riverside International Raceway, needing 72 stitches and plastic surgery for is his broken nose and cheekbones.
4 Had A Heart Transplant
Carroll Shelby had issues with his health almost all his life. As a young boy, at the tender age of 7, Shelby was diagnosed with a heart valve leakage problem. A heart valve helps coordinate the flow of blood through the heart, hence a leakage can lead to many several health complications which include heart failure.
At 14 years, he was declared to have ‘outgrown’ the issue. However, he’ll later require and undergo a heart and kidney transplant in 1990 and 1996, respectively.
3 Owned Planes
Carroll Shelby was quite wealthy. According to celebrity net worth, he was worth more than $40 million. The American racing legend earns massively from a plethora of highly profitable businesses, as well as car sales royalties. Nonetheless, a large chunk of Shelby’s incredible wealth is stored as tangible assets which include a house in Bel Air, two Texas ranches, and an apartment in Las Vegas.
Also, having served in the Army Air Corps, Shelby bought himself five vintage small planes, in addition to 20 cars which includes the first-ever Cobra.
2 Owned A Chili Company
Going by his life escapades, only three things ever truly matter to Shelby; they were in no particular order his next fast car, next marriage or female conquest, and next food. Shelby loves food, and he loves it spicy. Hence, having earlier purchased over 200,000 acres near Terlingua town, Texas, Shelby would in 1967 convert it to the home of Championship Chili Cook-Off, a chili cooking contest.
The contest later spurred him on to start a very successful chili production company.
1 Married Seven Times
Amazingly, Carroll Shelby married a total of seven times. His first was with schoolmate Jeanne Fields on the 8th of December 1943, divorcing in February 1960. Subsequently, Shelby admitted to having an extramarital affair with actress Jan Harrison. He later married Harrison in 1962 but annulled the union the same year.
Like the second, Shelby’s third, fourth, and fifth marriages were all short-lived, while the sixth wife died in a car crash in 1997. Four months after, Shelby married former British model Cleo Rendell-Roberts, the last wife before his death.