Important Shelby News out of SEMA

[BillH]

I am very interested in what is happening here. Acting on the old adage, “Tis better to keep one’s mouth shut and seem a fool rather than opening it and removing all doubt” I will remain silent with the following comments;
I have been a SAAC supporter, off and on since 1977. All Shelby owners and wanna-be Shelby owners owe a debt to SAAC for their efforts to promote and protect the marque. That said, there are some things that have happened with SAAC that I have not agreed with. Months ago, I was informed by a well place source that something like this was about to happen. Hopefully, the parties involved can work it out. A big part of Carroll Shelby’s success is his knack for finding the best talent for the job at hand. I for one am willing to sit back and trust his judgment here.

[vernonestes]

Originally Posted by daltondavid

Truth be told Vern, it would only complicate matters further. to me and many others it is Bad business to continue this campaign and just plain Stupid Silly!!! Hopefully the Grown Men involved here, (who at one time were great friends) need to put aside their personal anger and hurt feelings and straighten the matter out. Thousands of people are affected by a Legends decision to disavow them over a disagreement with one or two Men. believing that the Court of Public Opinion is where this matter should be decided only shows me to be a SERIOUS lapse in Judgement! Internal Affairs need to be handled internally. Both parties need to "Do the Right Thing!"

To be honest...i dont know if that is a shot at me or all the forum members who have been posting on this thread so in result i will not be posting on this thread anymore. Its just too hard to interperut what people are trying to say and in what manner they are saying it.
Vern

[65gtfastback]

Sounds like a face to face meeting would have to take place with all parties to help settle this. Its probably past phone calls. It should be done at a race track with Shelbys all around, Pardee in charge of happy hour and Amy keeping everyone straight. Attorneys place one thing at top priority ..billable hours...

[66GT350PS]

As the details continue to unfold, you can read the official Team Shelby club announcement at www.stangsunleashed.com/teamshelby with Carroll's selected endorsement of the Team Shelby club. The press release focuses on the Shelby vehicles of Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas. SAAC by its name has focused on the Shelby cars out of Shelby American in California. It would appear there would be room for Team Shelby as the club for the new
S197 Mustang and Cobra roadster Shelby cars and the SAAC vintage toys.
The problem may be in the litigation in the return of the Shelby American records that were given to SAAC 15 years ago and maintained, sorted and documented for years by SAAC volunteers and vehicle experts. I would expect if CS Licensing gets them back any inquiries to the validity of a Shelby American vehicle would no longer be free of charge or as accurate as to the long term vehicle history. It looks like an issue of long past loyalties versus legal and business values. Bummers.

[mirrorman]

Shelby owners both early & late model lovers unite: As Rodney King said "can't we all just get along?" All Shelby enthusiasts should embrace the heritage and strength of the brand, and not be so skeptical of the changes being instituted to preserve, protect and grow the Shelby brand. Look into the future...and what is current today, will one day be the distant past. These new Shelby cars will one day be vintage too. Trust the direction and leadership that was hand chosen by the original, and only, Carroll Shelby and his associates...to preserve and grow the brand, and preserve/authenticate the future of all of our passion for the man and his cars. It is bigger than any one of us.....so respect each and every true Shelby car, enthusiast, caretaker...and leader! Thanks to all who contribute for the betterment of our Shelby Community!! Mirrorman

[daltondavid]

Originally Posted by vernonestes

To be honest...i dont know if that is a shot at me or all the forum members who have been posting on this thread so in result i will not be posting on this thread anymore. Its just too hard to interperut what people are trying to say and in what manner they are saying it.
Vern

Vern, I was answering your question about wanting to know the truth with the first sentence of my statement that you could not interpret correctly. I was NOT Taking a Shot at anyone here on the forum for that matter either. It was an attempt to shake up some attention from the two main parties involved. now I can't help myself but I gotta ask, "Know what I mean Vern??"

[vernonestes]

Ok....one more post on this thread....i gotta giv ya credit for that one!
Vern

[GT350DAVE]

The Best Friend Carroll Shelby Ever Had
by Colin Comer, Sports Car Market magazine

Today Carroll Shelby is sitting on top of the automotive world. At 84, he is an automotive icon. The 1,003 Cobras he created from 1962 through 1967 are among the most-sought-after collectible cars of all time, evidenced by the $5.5M result of CSX3015 at Barrett-Jackson this past January. A Cobra Daytona Coupe was recently reported sold for $13m. Any Shelby American factory team car has two commas in its price. Even garden variety original 289 and 427 street Cobras trade routinely for over half a million dollars. Shelby Mustangs, originally about $4,500, now can bring 100 times that amount. Cobras are the most replicated car ever--currently more than 50 companies all over the world crank out Cobra replicas. And Shelby is back with Ford, again making Shelby Mustangs after 40 years. But it wasn't always like this.

In 1970, Carroll Shelby saw the writing on the wall: performance cars were coming under the microscope. Federal emission and safety requirements and high insurance rates were conspiring to make the performance car an endangered species. Shelby cashed in his chips and left the game, closing down his company. He preferred to spend his time hunting big game in Africa and dabbling in commercial real estate. His Cobras and Shelby Mustangs became just "used cars" and began the predictable downward slide of depreciation. Second and third owners began searching for parts to keep them on the road, and to find people who knew how to work on them. Authenticity was rarely a concern, nor was historical significance. That old race car may have won a lot of races, but was now just a beater to get to work in.

In 1975, there was no company to go to for expertise or advice. Shelby was long gone, and the factory a distant memory. Former Shelby employees had moved on. Your local Ford dealer didn't want to sell you parts--they were hopeful that you'd give up and buy a new Mustang II. So a handful of owners formed the Shelby American Automobile Club. They dedicated SAAC (pronounced "sack") to the preservation, history, care and enjoyment of Shelby automobiles. They formed a network to share parts sources and technical information. They sold and traded parts among themselves by way of classified ads in the club's publication. They held a national convention each summer where a couple of thousand owners and enthusiasts gathered to revel in their unique cars. Days were filled with car shows, swap meets and driving at speed on closed courses. Evenings were taken up with seminars, dinners and guest speakers. Even Carroll Shelby's interest was piqued and he was surprised to find himself the guest of honor and center of attention, receiving standing ovations and long lines of enthusiasts waiting patiently to get their pictures taken with him or to get his autograph. Shelby was back, and ol' Shel was a bona fide celebrity to the SAAC members.

The history of Cobras and Shelby Mustangs became very important to SAAC. The club tirelessly gathered information on every car and every owner they could locate. They researched serial numbers, technical details and running production changes. They tracked competition cars, noting the races, drivers, finishing positions and car numbers. Boxes of paperwork left behind at Shelby American and headed for the dumpster were secured, every page being scrutinized, filed, and recorded. Hundreds of members spent thousands of hours building databases of information which led to publishing a registry. Every serial number was listed and every scrap of information was included. And overnight, Shelby's cars--which had been orphans--became valuable. There was now an official publication to validate the genuine cars and expose the fakes. Make no mistake--as values climbed the number of counterfeit Cobras and Shelby Mustangs increased. Fortunately, the club's registrars were able to keep track of the originals. Their dedication served to protect the marque and is responsible, now some 30 years later, for the current confidence in Shelby cars due to the accuracy and accessibility of the club's documentation. In fact, those looking to "correct" history or exhibit selective amnesia about certain details of their cars past refer to SAAC's registrars as "The Untouchables." Privileged information and private notes kept by the Registrars are just that--it is protected fiercely by SAAC for the good of the cars.

The Shelby American Automobile Club kept the brand name "Shelby" alive during Carroll Shelby's absence from the automotive world. When Shelby signed a contract with Chrysler to build 4-cylinder "performance cars," SAAC continued to stoke the fires of Ford enthusiasm. In the 1990s, when Carroll Shelby decided to capitalize on the renewed enthusiasm for his cars and the power of his name, he began building Cobras again. SAAC had kept his fans like a good getaway driver keeps your car--"close and running". Of course, these fans also had their checkbooks in hand.

SAAC continues to collect information, expanding its databases to include the new Shelby cars. Every ten years the club publishes an updated version of its registry, the last edition is a staggering 1,333 pages! The club holds a national convention every summer, each one bigger and better than the last. In fact, they have become so large that the only facilities capable of accommodating them are major race circuits. Amazingly, the club has remained under the same stable volunteer leadership for 32 years. And members? Almost 5,000 worldwide, and for the last 15 years SAAC has enjoyed an 85% membership renewal rate. This is serious dedication.

Throughout the years Carroll Shelby has recognized the value of SAAC and has supported the club and its goals. The result speaks for itself--compare Shelby values and club support to similar manufacturers such as Cunningham or Allard. Shelby correctly realized that manufacturers never run good owner organizations--enthusiasts do because they secure a large number of dedicated volunteers, enabling their club to provide exactly the kind of organization its members desire. This leaves manufacturers like Shelby free to concentrate building cars. It is a perfect symbiotic relationship.

Colin Comer, Sports Car Market magazine
__________________

[mherman2]

Originally Posted by daltondavid

be patient. go watch a Football game or better yet,

David, I got all 52 episodes of Speed Racer for my 5 year old on 3 DVD's, I love football but Speed Racer is way better!!!

I'm not one of those over protective parents but like 30 guys die each episode and body parts and flames shoot out of the cars and half the guys are smoking cigarettes. One guy is named "Klepto" because he did time in the joint for stealing cars. Speed's girlfriend is named "Trixie". Also, his chimp and little brother eat an entire bag of candy each episode.

It's AWESOME!!!!!

Trying to make light of this back and forth

Mike

[mrdoc442]

The posts on this thread are reminiscent of a "good old fashioned family squabble", back in the days when larger sized (5 or more family members) families cleared the air, and got all the things that had been building and bothering them that had been stuck in their craw out in the open. Eventually after everyone had their honest say, hurt feelings were gotten past, wounds healed, they reunited, became closer and more healthy than they ever were before.

I guess what I am trying to say, is that though I am a relative newcomer to this Forum, though having been a muscle car enthusiast going back 40+ years (only recently have I been blessed to acquire a Shelby GT500), it is obvious to me that what you have on this forum, and in SAAC, is family.

Such distinction in itself is pretty special and sets the above mentioned organizations apart from their counterparts. Many car clubs cannot make that claim, and are cold, stagnet, uncaring, are mostly concerned with numbers and perpetuating their own existance.

That being said, I predict once cooler heads prevail, minds of a like mentality and goal come together, well informed decisions/conclusions are reached, this Forum and SAAC will emerge stronger and healthier than ever before.

Doc

[FE Mann]

I think that a copy of Colin Comer's article should be sent to everyone concerned in the matter of Shelby Licensing vs. SAAC.
It sheds more light than all of the previous threads combined.
Hopefully, this will help resolve this conflict. for in this situation NOBODY wins!

[mirrorman]

Great idea!!

[mrdoc442]

Originally Posted by FE Mann

I think that a copy of Colin Comer's article should be sent to everyone concerned in the matter of Shelby Licensing vs. SAAC.
It sheds more light than all of the previous threads combined.
Hopefully, this will help resolve this conflict. for in this situation NOBODY wins!

Only those who have been along for the full ride have the historical perspective to judge the accuracy of Comer's article, which is no doubt very well written, and shines much positive light on SAAC. It is counter-productive, and a big a mistake, however, to trivialize other members genuine concerns and thoughts. It is paramount above all that one particular person reads the article. To even have an automobile club named after you is no small honor in itself. That SAAC has maintained a faithful and strong membership throughout all these years also speaks volumes.

I haven't seen where anyone has written why "Today Mr. Shelby is currently sitting on top of the automobile world". IMHO his current resurgence in popularity is primarily in large part due to first Barrett Jackson's muscle car focus at their auctions which bring the current Shelby automobile happenings to millions of televison viewers who cannot afford a Shelby or to even go to the B/J auctions, or bid on the high end cars, and second to his renewed partnership with FoMoCo, and others that have recently followed. Nothing lasts forever. Eventually after the uniqueness wears off, it will be back to the "old faithful" followers, and some new 2007 on acquirers/converts, as the wannabe's interest wanes. "The more things change the more they stay the same".


Doc

[daltondavid]

Originally Posted by mherman2

David, I got all 52 episodes of Speed Racer for my 5 year old on 3 DVD's, I love football but Speed Racer is way better!!!

I'm not one of those over protective parents but like 30 guys die each episode and body parts and flames shoot out of the cars and half the guys are smoking cigarettes. One guy is named "Klepto" because he did time in the joint for stealing cars. Speed's girlfriend is named "Trixie". Also, his chimp and little brother eat an entire bag of candy each episode.

It's AWESOME!!!!!

Trying to make light of this back and forth

Mike

Yes Mike, I watched all 52 episodes approximately 50 times each. the first time they aired on Television and then were Re Run over and over. I was playing with a Japanese built, lead painted car toy while being mentally inundated with cartoon violence being pounded into my head. you need to Google "Clutch Cargo"! now there was a cartoon hero! and the ironic thing is this: Ric Kopec was busy getting SAAC organized with Ken Ebers help. Carroll Shelby was making Chili and taking journeys to Africa. and that is cool. Imagine while you are getting on with life, a group of folks so appreciate a microchasm of your life, that they become devotees so involved that they change the purpose of their lives to pay tribute to you and some of your accomplishments. they become your friends. you race together for fun, call each other on the phone and visit one anothers homes. at some point and for whatever reason, someone forgot to return a call and the other guy got an attitude. from there a molehill slowly grows into a mountain. oddly enough, it has become like the old Fable, "The Emperors New Clothes". Now we just have to figure out who thinks the Emperor is Balls A$$ Naked, and who thinks his New Outfit is just "Fabulous!"

[originalKR]

daltondave; You stated "I will start deleting posts that are negative and counterproductive". As moderator, you are entitled to do that. In fact, when I registered for this forum I had to agree to this statement, as we all have: "By agreeing to these rules, you warrant that you will not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar, sexually-oriented, hateful, threatening, or otherwise violative of any laws."

Since "violative" is not a word in the English language , I assume what was meant it that postings should not violate any laws.

However, as far as obscene and hateful postings are concerned, I have read all of these postings, and there was only one posting that used foul and abusive language. That posting was by Amyb, where she wrote "your a an ass and you can quote me".

That is the most blatantly offensive posting here, and clearly violates the rules that we all promised to abide by. Could it be that you being such a fan of Amy B is involved in you overlooking her deliberate violation of your rules, while you threaten to start removing other postings that simply request straight answers to honest questions?

Sure, Amy's put herself in the hot seat by deciding to post here. But, if she can't handle it, she should leave this to the PR group - or simply admit that she doesn't have an answer to give, rather than dodging questions and giving conflicting, confusing responses.

This is not a personal attack; just a simple statement of opinion. Please do not delete it. Thanks, Dave

[tesgt350]

Originally Posted by originalKR

daltondave; You stated "I will start deleting posts that are negative and counterproductive". As moderator, you are entitled to do that. In fact, when I registered for this forum I had to agree to this statement, as we all have: "By agreeing to these rules, you warrant that you will not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar, sexually-oriented, hateful, threatening, or otherwise violative of any laws."

Since "violative" is not a word in the English language , I assume what was meant it that postings should not violate any laws.

However, as far as obscene and hateful postings are concerned, I have read all of these postings, and there was only one posting that used foul and abusive language. That posting was by Amyb, where she wrote "your a an ass and you can quote me".

That is the most blatantly offensive posting here, and clearly violates the rules that we all promised to abide by. Could it be that you being such a fan of Amy B is involved in you overlooking her deliberate violation of your rules, while you threaten to start removing other postings that simply request straight answers to honest questions?

Sure, Amy's put herself in the hot seat by deciding to post here. But, if she can't handle it, she should leave this to the PR group - or simply admit that she doesn't have an answer to give, rather than dodging questions and giving conflicting, confusing responses.

This is not a personal attack; just a simple statement of opinion. Please do not delete it. Thanks, Dave

Just when you thought it was over, someone stirs the pot again. It has been handled already, and we have moved on, let it go already, Please.
David.

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by tesgt350

.... It has been handled already.

...did I miss something? How "has it been handled"? ...seriously.