Shelby CSX History

 

Carroll Shelby

Carroll Shelby
Carroll Shelby
at Laguna Seca
in 1983
(picture courtesy of
the Shelby American
Automobile Club
click to enlarge)
Carroll Hall Shelby was born on January 11, 1923, in Leesburg, TX, to Warren and Eloise Shelby. They later moved to Dallas where Shelby graduated from high school. He served as a flight instructor and test pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II. In 1943 he married Jeanne Fields, and the couple had a daughter a little over a year later.

After the war, Shelby started a dump truck business in Dallas. During the following years, the Shelbys added two sons to the family. Shelby worked for a while in the oil business and then turned to raising chickens. Shelby was left bankrupt when disease wiped out his stock.

In 1952 Shelby began racing at a quarter-mile drag meet with a Ford flathead V8-powered hot rod. His racing career culminated with his 1959 win of the 24 Hours of LeMans driving an Aston Martin DBR1/300.

Some photos of Carroll Shelby through the years can be seen in the gallery. The Dallas Morning News published this article on Carroll Shelby. More details about his life and work can be found at the Carroll Shelby Web site.

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