Carroll Shelby - the life path of the great racer and designer

The cars "Ford Mustang" GT-350 and GT-500 amaze with the magnificence. A lot of films were filmed about the creation and designers of this memorable vehicle. Carroll Shelby is a legendary man who determined in many ways the whole era of life in America.

Biography

Carroll Hall Shelby was born on January 11, 1923 in Lisburg. He became world famous after creating versions of Ford cars. At one time he founded a company that is still functioning. She specializes in the sale of modified cars "Ford", and also engaged in tuning.

Carroll's father was a rural postman, and his mother was a housewife. As a child Shelby spent a lot of time lying in bed, because at the age of seven he had problems with the heart valve. Only fourteen years have improved health. Shelby later says that her health problems simply outgrew.

Carroll Shelby: personal life

The famous designer has married more than once and has several children.

List of wives and children of Carroll Shelby:

• Zhanna Polya. Marriage with her concluded on December 18, 1943. A year after the marriage, their first-born, the girl Sharon Ann, was born. The couple also got two more sons - Michael Hall and Patrick Burt. After seventeen years of marriage, the couple decided to divorce.
• Cleo Patricia Margarita became the second wife of Carroll Shelby on September 3, 1997. With it, he lived until his death. They did not have common children.

Carroll Shelby: life before the race

Immediately after graduation from the school of the future world-famous rider was drafted into the army. While attending middle classes, Shelby coached driving skills on his first Willys car. In the United States Army, Carroll was in aviation and even participated in the Second World War, as a flight instructor and test pilot.

After the end of the war, Shelby tried to engage in various businesses, not chuyasya anything. I tried to breed chickens and sell oil. But still his true passion was racing.

Rider's profession

First time, Carroll performed in tournaments as an amateur. The beginning of his career coincided with the birth of championships in the US. For the first time legally, he got behind the wheel of a car at a competition at twenty-nine. And two years later received the status of professional Carroll Shelby. The career of the racer for him was easily built, since this is exactly what he always dreamed of doing. In one of the interviews he said that it was just luck, he was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

In the near future, such teams as "Aston Martin", "Maserati", wished that their pilot was Carroll Shelby. His photos were regularly printed in magazines, and one of them gave him the title of "Best Racer".

In America, the championships were not paid, because they were considered amateur. Therefore, Carroll began to feel in the European. Together with his partner Roy Saltvadory, he won in 1959 the first place in the twenty-four hour race on a car brand Aston Martin. And from 1958 to 1959 he was a member of the Formula-1.

During his life, Shelby has set about sixteen American and international records. He also participated in eight world championships and several commercial ones.

In December 1960, Carroll Shelby held the final race in his career. To participate in it, his choice was based on the brand of the car "Maserati". In the race, he took the fifth place. However, the championship of the year Carroll Shelby still won and retired with a victory in his hands.

Profession of the designer

At 37 years of life Shelby's health deteriorated. Carroll could not afford to participate in the race. However, he could not give up the main love of his life - cars.

Back in America, he organized a school in which driving skills were taught, and Shelby-American company. Having received permission, he started to transport racing English cars, produced by AC Motors. At his company, he changed the original engine to a Ford engine and presented the public with a new car for American motorists - Shelby (or Shelby Conra).

After the successful cooperation, the Ford company entrusted Carroll Shelby with improving one of her models. "Mustang", which is beautiful in everything, did not have a sporting image. It was this task that Shelby faced, with which he successfully coped. At a specially built factory in the suburbs of Los Angeles, about two hundred Shelby GT 350 were produced a month, later successfully participating in competitions.

Upon completion of cooperation with Ford, Carroll Shelby took part in the development of other brands of cars, namely "Dodge", "Chrysler" and "Oldsmobile". For this period of time, the era of the oil masters had to be completed. Therefore, Shelby began working on the creation of an easy, but powerful car. And the light comes the unsurpassed Dodge Viper. This car is still relevant and does not leave anyone indifferent.

In 2003, Carroll Shelby restores contacts with Ford. At the same time he founded his company. For "Ford" he gave technical advice in the Ford GT project.

Death

In 1994, Shelby underwent a heart transplant operation. A couple of years later, the kidney was replaced. His son made a donation. And despite all the worsening of his health, he remained the same excellent rider and philanthropist.

Carroll Shelby passed away on May 10, 2012 in Dallas. With the death of this man a whole era in the automotive industry has ended. Firms founded by Carroll Shelby, today work perfectly, releasing many models developed by the great designer.