Bad news for motoring fans. Carroll Shelby died today.

[njiska]

This has not been a good month for people I'm a fan of. First we lost MCA and now Carroll Shelby has passed.

http://jalopnik.com/5890132/carroll-she ... dead-at-89

[DJ Incompetent]

Was this the guy who hid a basketball in a fuel tank and pumped it up to pass car spec certification for a race then aired it out to run bonus fuel cheats?

[njiska]

No, that was Smokey Yunick. Shelby was a race driver in 1950s and during the 1960s became famous for constructing modified cars, such as the AC Cobra and the Shelby GT500.

[Ed Oscuro]

Yeah, his custom designs were really influential. You can race one in Gran Turismo 2, I think. I always liked the look of his stuff. All that being said, hasn't he been retired for a long while? At least he got to live out a full life, I'd say.

Also, good one for Gawker - at the foot of the link you provided there's a ton of good stuff. Gonna watch the Cosby and Shelby Goes Racing With Ford bits later.

Did anybody really believe the "continuation Shelby" thing? I think it's clever marketing.

[dial911]

Shelby paid his own way to Europe in order to beat Ferarri on their home racing courses, including the Le Mans 24 hours, since Ford didn't have the $$$ in their budget. He created the GT40 (siiiiiiick!!!) and handed Ferrari their ass.

'Ferrari's ass is mine' on the back of the Cobra.

A true Champion/Legend, indeed.