Twenty-three-year-old Peter Brock was assigned the task of making the Cobra more slippery at high speed, and he designed a unique solution that had some experts shaking their heads, as well as flying in the face of race-car aesthetics of the era. But the Shelby Daytona Coupe performed brilliantly, and with famed drivers Bob Bondurant and Dan Gurney at the wheel was able to hit 196 mph on the Mulsanne Straight.

Veteran racer Bob Bondurant at the wheel of the 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra that he raced at Le Mans more than 40 years ago, reunited at his Arizona racing school in 2009.(Photo: Bob Golfen)

More importantly, the Daytona Coupe trounced the Ferraris to win the GT class at LeMans, and went on to win the World Manufacturer’s Championship.

Next came the Ford-led effort to beat the Italians at their own game after Enzo Ferrari had imperiously snubbed Ford’s efforts to acquire his automobile business. That resulted in the amazing GT40, so named because of its roof height in inches, which Shelby brought to LeMans to win first-place victories two years in a row. In the 1966 24-hour race, the GT40s crossed the finish line in first, second and third place.

“Carroll Shelby was an automotive visionary and leader,” said Dan Gurney, who was part of the Shelby American racing team and an American legend in the car building racing world. “His West Texas downhome bib overall style had a huge emotional impact on me and when he launched his now legendary Ford-powered Cobra team, I found myself a very willing volunteer to lend my driving ability to his quest to take on the established European teams on their home turf."

For the 1967 model year, the Shelby GT500 was added to the Mustang stable. In March 1967, the run of the original Shelby Cobras ended with the final 427 models.

Carroll Shelby stands with the Ford Mark II prototype that Phil Hill and Chris Amon drove at the 1965 24 Hours of LeMans. (Photo: Ford Archives)

Throughout the years, Shelby has kept his hand in performance- and sports-car building. From 1983 to 1989, he teamed up with Chrysler and its president, former Ford chief and unabashed Shelby fan Lee Iacocca, to produce performance vehicles, including work on the prototype that would lead to the Dodge Viper.

Shelby American also produced several new products, including the exotic Shelby Series 1 sports car and the CSX continuation series of Shelby Cobras. Much to Shelby's disdain, the Cobra has been the most-replicated car ever; when you see a Cobra on the street these days, it’s most likely a fiberglass replica of the original, mainly because the values of “real” Cobras have flown through the roof.

Shelby has kept busy with Ford in recent years, with the Dearborn, Mich., automaker’s recent Mustang Shelby GT500 reliving the successes of the earlier models with astounding performance. He was also a regular presence at Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions, where his own supercharged 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake sold in 2007 for a staggering $5.5 million. Shelby celebrated his 80th birthday during a Barrett-Jackson auction gala.

"Carroll was a personal friend to me, to my late mother and brother, as well as a good friend of Barrett-Jackson President Steve Davis," said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. "In fact, he meant so much to me, I named my only daughter Shelby after him. He was larger than life, responsible for some of the most legendary cars including the Cobra, the GT40, the Shelby Mustang and Viper.

"His cars command some of the highest-prices on our auction block, and for good reason, because when you buy a Shelby you know you’re going to own a piece of automotive history. His passing is a true loss for all of us, both at Barrett-Jackson and within the industry as a whole. He was an icon I was proud to call a friend.”

Carroll Shelby at the Ford Dearborn Development Center in 2007 with the Shelby GT500KR test mule. (Photo: Ford)

Edsel Ford II, member of the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company and great-grandson of Henry Ford, noted the importance of Shelby's enduring partnership with Ford.

“At Ford, Carroll Shelby will always be remembered as an innovator, a performance vehicle legend but most importantly an incredible partner and close friend for more than 60 years,” Ford said. “The Ford and Shelby collaboration is something that has always been very important to me personally and Carroll will continue to be the inspiration behind our future collaboration that will carry his name. My family and I are honored to have had Carroll as a friend and part of our family. He will never be forgotten.”

Carroll Shelby was well-known for his philanthropic efforts. In respect to his own heart transplant in September 1991, Shelby created the Carroll Shelby Foundation to aid needy children with life-threatening illnesses and fund transplants of hearts and other organs. His foundation also provides support for other charity organizations and automotive-education programs.

And to celebrate his Texas roots, Shelby launched the World Chili Cookoff competition in 1967, which continues to this day.

The charismatic Shelby has been the recipient of a tremendous number of industry awards over the years, and he is rightfully seen as a towering figure in automotive performance, American style. He will go down in the annals as one of the true greats in an auto industry where mavericks and independent thinkers are not always appreciated. His personal character, vision and perseverance will long be remembered.

Shelby is survived by his three children Patrick, Michael and Sharon; his sister, Anne Shelby Ellison of Fort Worth; six grandchildren; four great grandchildren; and his wife Cleo. Funeral plans are not immediately available. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his name to the Carroll Shelby Foundation (www.cscf.org).

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at