Our friend Carroll Shelby, who passed away at age 89, will be remembered by many for his racing wins early in his career including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, plus his skillful ability to craft some of the most notable street-legal sports cars ever made. The Shelby Cobra and Shelby Mustangs are top-of-mind among auto enthusiasts. Shelby was also involved in many other high-profile vehicle programs including the Ford GT40 and Dodge Viper.
What’s less known about Shelby was his interest in things automotive outside the realm of performance. Carroll Shelby was a juror for Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year program since its beginning in 2005. He also believed in electric drive technologies and was opinionated about the use of alternative fuels.
In a 2004 Green Car Journal interview, Shelby shared many perspectives on environmental performance including his frustration with how long it was taking to bring hybrids into the mainstream, plus his belief that the industry’s answer to meeting emissions control regulations in 1965 should have been to transition vehicles to clean-burning natural gas, rather than choking gasoline internal combustion vehicle performance for years with the nascient smog equipment of the day. In this same interview, Shelby was prescient regarding the role that racing could play in promoting hybrid technology, something that’s occurring on the racing circuit with increasing frequency today.
Carroll Shelby, an American icon, will be missed.