Carroll Shelby passes away

Creator of the Shelby range of cars passes away, aged 89

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Carroll Hall Shelby, businessman, race driver and creator of the Shelby Cobra, passed away on Thursday, May 10. Aged 89, he died at the Baylor Hospital in Dallas, but the cause of his death was not disclosed.

Carroll Shelby is best known for introducing the Shelby AC Cobra to the United States in the 1960s, combining an English sportscar chassis with an American Mustang engine. He was also one of the few prominent designers to work with three major American car companies, starting with Ford Motor Co in the 1960s. His last collaboration with Ford was on the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500.

Born in 1923 at Leesburg, Texas, Shelby started racing cars in the 1950s, and by 1956, had garnered enough race wins to earn the title "Driver of the Year" from Sports Illustrated. He would win that award again in 1957. He would then go on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959, driving an Aston Martin.

He quit racing after being diagnosed with a serious heart condition. He received a heart transplant in 1990 and then a kidney transplant in 1996. Shelby is survived by three children and his wife, Cleo.

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