Carroll Shelby, famed for fast living and faster cars, dies at 89
Source: Los Angeles Times
By Shav Glick and Jerry Hirsch
May 11, 2012, 1:04 p.m.
Carroll Shelby, the charismatic Texan who parlayed a short-lived racing career into a specialized business building high-performance, street-legal cars, died Thursday. He was 89.
Shelby died at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, according to an announcement by his company, Carroll Shelby Licensing. A cause was not disclosed.
He led a colorful, outsized life that touched virtually every corner of the automotive world, said Leslie Kendall, curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
“He was the only individual to influence the designs of all three major American automakers. Everything he touched became legendary,” Kendall said. “Even recently he was working on an experimental engine.”
Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-carroll-shelby-20120511,0,7384989.story
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For being part of a time when America was Number 1, 2, 3 and 4.
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And, going for the Pole around the Nurburgring in a '63 289 Cobra, (2010 Oldtimers Grand Prix). Gotta love that sound, speed and the controlled violence of driving that car at the limit.
The sound of that 289HP brings back some memories 
Virtually identical to this one, but butter yellow, black interior.
289, Shelby 306hp cam, Holley 600, Edelbrock Torker manifold, Shelby dual-point distributor, headers, Toploader 4 sp, Hurst Shifter, Konis, 428 Convertible springs (cut down 2 inches), repositioned upper control arms, 351 Mach 1 frnt and rear swaybars, 15X7 Torquethrust wheels, 225/60-15 Uniroyal Tigerpaws.
Tach and oil press in dash, Nardi wood wheel, lots of Pink Floyd, Yes and Procol Harem on the cassette player. My first real car, and still one of my favorites. 1972-76. Gave it up when I went off to college.
But, you should have seen and heard my pal Tommy's '68 Fastback at 9000 rpm. Full-race 302 with 4X48mm Weber IDF carbs. Blew away the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona and the Hemi 'Cuda in town.
P.S. -Don't you just love the way that small block Cobra just eats up all the other sports cars of the same era on a road course? That goes for the production Ferraris, as well, but you don't see many of those in vintage races, anymore.
Open the pearly timing trap, and hold on to your hats!
Well done Mr Shelby! 
