Carroll Shelby, driver and automotive legend, died today, May 11, 2011, at the age of 89, due to complications from an illness. Rumor has it that he had been in the hospital for several weeks suffering from pneumonia. Throughout his childhood he suffered poor health but by his teenage years, his health had improved. After serving in World War II as a flight instructor and test pilot, he became a driver for companies such as Allard, Aston Martin, and Maserati. He actually won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Aston Martin in 1959, his last year of driving.

After driving, he began doing what he was ultimately known for, building various fast cars. He could take an ordinary automobile and reinvent it into something extraordinary. He will forever be remembered for his beautiful fast machines, charitable personality, and most importantly, his one-of-a-kind heart.

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Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale, Arizona, event has become arguably the world’s premier collector-car auction. Starting out as a small charity function in 1967, the multi-day event now attracts more than 250,000 people and hundreds of classic cars. Scottsdale’s 2012 auction appears to be just as big since many rare and exclusive automobiles have already registered to cross the auction block.

Because every collector has his or her own particular likes and dislikes and considering the variety of cars, I could never label a small set of automobiles as standing absolutely above all the rest. But, despite the glorious assortment of fine and collectible cars, I have assembled a list of seven of the more notable automobiles (in no particular order) that will go under the auctioneer’s hammer.

Follow the jump to read our guest post at MyCarQuest.

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The very best collectible automobiles are sometimes tucked away and off-limits to prying eyes. In the upcoming months, we will be gaining access to some of these amazing collections and bringing you never-before-seen photographs as well as insight into the cars and the people that collect them.



This fabulous collection is stored in a nondescript warehouse on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee. It holds some of the most-sought-after, best-performing models of the 1960s as well as some distinctive older classics. All of the examples reflect the individual character of the collector, and each one comes with its own story. We met with the owner, Cliff Ernst, who gave us a guided tour and educated us on drag racing, big blocks, and choosing the perfect car. His passion for performance is rooted in drag racing; he cut his teeth on the drag strips and stoplights of Ohio during the 1960s.



Walking around his immaculate white-tile showroom, we were shocked to see everything from Super Duty Pontiacs, Shelby Mustangs, factory-supercharged Thunderbirds, Corvettes and more! His awe-inspiring collection seems to culminate with two of the rarest and most desirable Camaros ever made: a gold 1969 Yenko Camaro and a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The former was the product of Chevy-dealer-turned-aftermarket-tuner Don Yenko. The latter was Chevrolet’s answer for the serious drag racer who could append an extra $4,500 for an all-aluminum 427-cubic-inch engine option. Both are as powerful as they are rare.

Ernst sat down with us to answer a few questions and tell us more about his passion.



What was the first car in your collection?

In the mid-‘70s, I bought a 1930 Model A Ford. I always wanted one in high school, but I needed to save $150 for college.



At what point did this evolve from a garage at your home into a dedicated facility?

In the 1980s, I allocated space at my business to keep the growing collection safely stored. In 1991, we built a dedicated warehouse for the collection. It was around thirty cars at the time. We now have around 45 cars.



Tell us a little bit about the gold Yenko.

The gold car was the prototype for the ‘69 Yenko. Certain features of this car did not make it into the 1969 Yenko production models. I am the second owner, and I have professionally restored it twice. It was featured in the July 1969 issue of Super Stock and Drag Illustrated magazine. Ed Professional driver Ed Hedrick was able to run an 11.94 (quarter-mile time) in stock form.



Do you think the previous owner regrets parting with it?

I sent him photos I had taken after the restoration, but I never heard back from him, so I like to think they got lost in the mail!



What feature of the Yenko cars do you like most?

The performance. When the Yenko cars first hit the streets, I was drag racing a ‘65 Corvette. They consistently posted faster times (than the Corvette). They made winning look easy!



Besides the gold Yenko, what is your favorite car?

The ‘32 Packard V12 or the supercharged ‘57 T-bird.



Performance does seem to be the theme here. Was it a goal of yours to have the ultimate production versions of these cars or is it a coincidence?

I prefer to have the highest-performance model available. The ‘57 Chevy is fuel injected and the T-birds are supercharged. You get the idea!



With the quality of the restorations you have here, have you ever considered restoring and building cars as a business?

No, my employees are so meticulous that this could not be a profitable business!



Did you foresee that the ’69 Camaro would be the iconic collector car that it is today?

No, I just thought they had great styling and a multitude of performance options.



I know your cars are well documented, but what do you think about clones and recreation cars?

Let’s just say they are not for me.



Owning one of the original ZL1 Camaros is a real honor; do you see the 2012 ZL1 as a worthy successor?

It is a good continuation of the name and a nice move by Chevy.



Do you have anything special in your home garage?

I have my first ‘69 Yenko that I purchased in 1987. It is kept at the house for weekend cruises.

My daily driver is a 2008 black (Dodge) Challenger SRT8.



Are you done collecting, or is there always room for one more?

Certain cars will continue to be possible additions, but, more realistically, I need to be thinking about thinning the herd.



Thanks, Cliff, and happy motoring!

Follow the link to the full Facebook photo album.

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The sixth annual Boca Raton Concours d’ Elegance is celebrating 50 years of the Shelby Cobra and upcoming 100th anniversary of Aston Martin with a tremendous commemoration on February 24–26, 2012, at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Boca Raton, Florida.

As a special tribute to the man behind the brand, Carroll Shelby will be presented with an Automotive Lifetime Achievement Award. Following the ceremony, guests will have the rare opportunity to bid of some exclusive Shelby products. The event will be auctioning off three limited-edition commemorative Shelby Cobras.

The first authentic recreation is a 50th-anniversary 1962 Shelby Cobra 289 CSX8992, and the other two authentic recreations are a pair of 1965 Shelby Cobra 427s: CSX6063 and CSX6100. It will also be auctioning two limited-edition commemorative 2012 models: an 800-hp 2012 Shelby GT500 Super Snake and a 2012 Shelby GT350. Shelby built each of these cars specifically for the Boca Raton Concours d'Elegance.

This year's concours kicks off on Friday night with the duPont Registry Live! Hangar Party. On Saturday night, duPont will also host a black-tie-optional gala dinner and show with Comedian / Actor Dana Carvey. Sunday, the main event takes place, as an expert panel evaluates some of the finest automobiles and motorcycles ever built.

This three-day series of events benefits Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.

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Shelby American and Electronic Arts (EA) will offer a 2011 Shelby GT500 Super Snake “Need for Speed” Edition to promote EA’s new game, Need for Speed The Run, which will hit stores this holiday season. The special one-off car, which will be featured on the cover of the video game, is going on a world tour—making appearances at major automotive and gaming events—before it hits the auction block in late 2012. Proceeds from the car’s sale will benefit the Carroll Shelby Foundation, which has grown from helping kids with serious illnesses to also helping young adults prosper by awarding funds for higher education. Expect the car to fetch a premium over the $83,000 base price of a 2012 Super Snake.

Fortunately, for the buyer, this car is not a dressed-up nonfunctional show car; based off the Mustang GT500, it features a 750-hp supercharged 5.4-liter V-8. Modifications include an upgraded driveshaft, new throttle bodies, dynamic adjustable dampers, lowering springs, and stabilizer bars. The car wears a Wimbledon White paint with custom gray Super Snake stripes, “Shelby” lettering across the rear deck lid, and official “Super Snake” vehicle badges. Inside is a custom two-tone black interior.

EA assures us that we will get to drive this rare muscle car—in a virtual world—when Need for Speed The Run hits store shelves on November 15, 2011.

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Vehicles and automobile memorabilia accounted for $51.1 million in total sales at the Mecum Auctions event held May 17–22 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana. The six-day event featured nearly 3,500 lots, including almost 2,000 classic and exotic automobiles and more than 1,400 lots of gas station collectibles and neon signs.

The top grossing vehicles sales from the 2011 Original Spring Classic:

• 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda at $550,000
• 2006 Prevost Featherlite Vantare at $525,000
• 1963 Shelby Cobra 289 Roadster at $490,000
• 1967 Chevrolet Nickey/Bill Thomas 427 Stage III Camaro at $400,000
• 1969 Chevrolet Yenko Super Camaro at $345,000

Follow the jump for the press release and top-ten sales list.

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Despite Saleen Performance Vehicle’s retraction from the Mustang-tuner marketplace, the latest creation to wear the Shelby name does not signify that the Mustang tuner monopolizes the marketplace or that it wants to sit back and dabble in other projects. It still has to worry about the real Saleen—Steve Saleen and his company SMS Supercars. But that won’t stop Shelby from working with a well-known bicycle manufacturer to offer a limited edition beach cruiser that will wear Carroll Shelby’s signature.

Felt Bicycles has announced a licensing agreement with Carroll Shelby to build a limited-edition beach cruise dubbed the Shelby Cruiser. Each bike wears “blue dot” tires designed to resemble automotive racing tires and the infamous Wimbledon White and Guardsman Blue colors. The Shelby Cruiser will be available through Felt Bicycles for $999.

Follow the jump for the press release.

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Revved Automotive Concepts has been working on an ultimate upgrade for the 1960s Super Snake: a target outcome of 1,000 hp without sacrificing its street drivability.

The project came about after the owner of SS021 went to Revved Automotive Concepts with some typical chronic ailments and some mistakes made by other shops while attempting to correct them. After a discussion with the owner, who was anxious to unlock the potential of his Super Snake, the idea for the “Super Snake Super Car” package was born.

What followed was a complete engine rebuild, chassis upgrades, re-plumbed fuel system, revised front and rear suspension geometry, upgraded radiator, hand-fabricated exhaust, power brake upgrade, and the addition of a dual-disk clutch. A large amount of time was spent on tweaking the output of the Vortech V7 supercharger for performance without making the car a handful to drive. Experiments led to five pounds of boost to 15 pounds at half throttle. After much testing, it finally reached a happy medium. The outcome is 771 hp and 718 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. With the typical 20 percent driveline loss, crankshaft horsepower is approximately 963 hp with the supercharger pushing 12 pounds of boost. In the words of Revved Automotive Concepts: Success! SS021, or Tiny as it has been dubbed around the shop, is the first of three Super Snake Super Car package upgrades that Revved Automotive Concepts will be carrying out.

Revved Automotive Concepts is best known for fixing the wrongs started by Unique Performance, a now defunct garage that specialized in refurbishing and building replicas of Shelby’s Mustang-based GT500. The cars from Unique Performance were plagued by quality concerns and undelivered promises. Sean Sawyer, who left Unique Performance shortly before it closed its door and is now the owner of Revved Automotive Concepts, can’t help the customers that never received a car or got their deposit money back. However, he and two other colleagues from Unique Performance are dedicating part of the business to repairing and even rebuilding the problem cars that they once helped build.

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Shelby American says that all 50 copies of the 50th Anniversary Shelby Cobra sold within 48 hours of the car being officially announced. In this instance, sold out is a relative term, with orders coming in from both consumers and dealers, alike. So even if you were late ordering your own Shelby Black roadster, you will still most likely be able to find one at nearby Shelby Cobra dealer, many of which picked up multiple cars.

[via Shelby American]

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Shelby American is going to release 50 Cobra bodies wearing chassis numbers CSX8950–8999 for the 50th anniversary of the iconic car. The cars, painted in Shelby Black, will be available with either fiberglass or aluminum bodies to the tune of either $69,995 or $134,995, respectfully. The bodies also include leather interiors, wire wheels, special badging, and a nice barren engine compartment ready for the latest 427 crate motor.

[via Shelby American]

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