Carroll Shelby was an American racing driver, car designer, team owner, crew chief, and just about anything else you could imagine in the automotive landscape. If a job involving a car exists, Shelby did it…and with a sense of swagger. Shelby was one of the first Americans to win Le Mans in 1959 before retiring from driving due to health reasons. After he retired from professional driving, he switched to the admin side, starting his own company: Shelby American.
Shelby tuned and produced cars through his brand starting in 1962 and until he died in 2012. Some of his most famous cars include the AC Cobra, Daytona Coupe, and the GT40. Shelby is also credited for his work on the Dodge Viper and tuning Ford Mustangs throughout his career. Some know that Shelby worked with Chrysler for a brief period too, famously turning the Dakota mini-truck into a convertible and turning the Dodge Omni into a hot hatch. Did you know Shelby tuned a Toyota, though? And produced his supercar based on the GT40?
Grab a bowl of Shelby's chili and throw on a cowboy hat, here are eight Carroll Shelby creations you've never heard of!
8 1959 Scaglietti Corvette
When Carroll Shelby retired in 1959 he knew he had to find a new way to channel his love for cars. Before he was building up cars from Ford though, he was trying to build a sports car based on the Corvette. Chevrolet loaned Shelby three C1 Corvettes to see what he was capable of. He sent them to get new bodies in Italy, which outraged a local customer...Enzo Ferrari.
Chevrolet turned down the prototypes and Shelby's idea, causing him to move to Ford. We imagine Chevrolet is still trying to figure out to time-travel, so they could change their answer to Shelby. The custom-bodies Corvette's performed fine, maintaining the proven 327 cubic inch V8 and the 4-speed manual transmission.
7 1987 Shelby GLH-S
In 1983 Carroll Shelby came out of temporary retirement to help his friend Lee Iaccoca (who made the AC Cobra and GT40 possible) who now worked at Chrysler. Chrysler had a lack of performance cars in their lineup and needed the Texan's help filling holes in the lineup. The Dodge Charger (no relation to the iconic 1969 muscle car) was the first car he chose to modify when he arrived at Chrysler.
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The Charger was one of two sports models sold by Dodge when he arrived. The Charger came stock with an anemic 2.2L I4 good for only 107 horsepower. Throughout the lifespan of the Charger, he continued to make improvements, with the zenith of the Charger being the 1987 Shelby GLH-S (Goes Like Hell S'more). Engine output was boosted to 170 horsepower under Shelby's direction, given a turbo, intercooler, and better ECU. The suspension and brakes were also completely redone. When done, the GLH-S could go, handle, and stop with ease.
6 1989 Shelby CSX VST
This Shelby creation was based on the Dodge Shadow, an economy car meant for college students and grandparents. Shelby took the little econobox, threw in the Turbo II 2.2L Inline Four from the GLH-S, and fine-tuned the handling. The 2.2L Turbo could get the CSX to 60mph in less than 7 seconds, not bad for a car from the 1980s.
CSXs were offered in either black, white, or red, with little badging to indicate that the CSX was a capable sport compact. Shelby himself kept a top-of-the-line CSX VNT as a personal car as a testament to the car's performance. Only 500 of the CSX's ever made were VNT editions.
5 1986 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z CS
The Daytona was the flagship performance model sold by Dodge in the 1980s. Unfortunately, it suffered the same performance woes as the Dodge Charger. Shelby alleviated that issue with the Turbo II 2.2L I4 (starting to notice a theme?) with 170 horsepower.
Once Shelby was done, the Daytona could get to 60mph in about 7.5 seconds. Power wasn't the only thing that improved when Shelby modified the Daytona though. Tweaks were made to the steering, suspension, brakes, and a meaty set of tires were thrown on. Shelby made the best he could from the front-wheel sports car.
4 1968 Toyota 2000GT CP
Yep, Shelby tuned a Toyota. In the late 1960s, Japan was trying to muscle its way into the realm of motorsport with little success. Toyota built the 2000GT to change that, taking mechanical and aesthetic inspiration from the likes of the Jaguar E-Type.
When Toyota felt it was time to finally enter the 2000GT into racing, they gave one man a call to get their car ready. Shelby tuned three 2000GTs for the 1968 SCCA Class C season with the goal of beating Porsche in mind. The cars would have done well but former Shelby American employee and rival Brock Yates had other plans in mind. Yates was bitter that Toyota went to Shelby over him, so he instructed his 240Z drivers in Class D to block the racing line from 2000GTs and let the Porsche 911s pass. Sounds like the plot of a movie, doesn't it?
3 1968 Shelby Lonestar
Shelby's contract with Ford Racing ended in 1968, and he started to explore options on his own. Shelby called up his old friends at Lola who helped make the GT40 possible and was given a new shell. Shelby opted for the smaller 289 V8, a 4-speed manual, and a ZF transaxle. Shelby only produced one, making it his rarest creation.
The Lonestar was killed by tightening emissions and safety regulations. Shelby didn't have the overhead nor the desire to work around the government and the laws he felt killed the car industry. In 1970 Shelby retired from Ford and spent the next 13 years between his ranch and safariing in South Africa.
2 1987 Shelby Lancer
Shelby decided to tune the comfort-centered Lancer...for fun...just to see what would happen. Shelby installed the venerable 170-horsepower Turbo II motor, fitted the car with big brakes, and tightened up the chassis and suspension. What resulted was a car that would ensure substitute teachers and secretaries were never late again. The Shelby Lancer could get to 60mph in under 8 seconds, not bad for an '80s sedan.
The Lancer may have been the only Shelby creation with some focus on luxury as well. Shelby fitted the car with optional leather and a CD player, swanky by 1980s standards. Only 800 were produced...and could be had in any color as long as it was red.
1 1999 Dodge Durango SLP-360
The greatest mom car of the 1990s was not immune from Carroll Shelby's speed-crazed antics. Shelby took the already powerful 5.9L V8 from the Durango SLT, threw a supercharger on it, and an equally insane body kit on it, and called it a day. The SLP-360 could make 360 horsepower from either the rear or all-wheels depending on which version you opted for.
Only 300 Shelby Durango's were made, making it one of the rarest SUV's ever produced. The Durango SLP-360 was offered with all the 90s technology you'd want, a CD player, a video monitor and custom bucket seats. If you ever wanted to play Gran Turismo 2 in the back of a 90s SUV, the SLP-360 is for you.