Carroll Shelby: A Collection of My Favorite Racing Photos

By Art Evans

Packed with images selected by Carroll Shelby from his racing career, this collection includes captions with the legend's commentary and memories from when he flipped through these very photos.

Some of these images have never been printed until now, and others haven't been published since the 1950s and 1960s.

Author Art Evans was a sports car racer in the 1950s on the West Coast who raced against and became close friends with Carroll Shelby. Their intense competition on the track became a lifelong friendship off the track. He and Shelby collaborated on many business projects over the years, including books, marketing projects, projects for the Shelby Foundation, and so on. In his later years, Shelby loved the books about his cars and similar topics, but his eyesight was failing to the point where he had difficulty reading and really preferred the books that were heavy with photos. It was from that realization that Shelby and Evans decided to work on one last book together.

Unfortunately, Carroll Shelby passed away before the book was fully completed, but Evans, following Shelby's instructions, carried this final project through to completion.

If you are a sports car racing enthusiast, a Ford fan, Shelby fan, or any combination of the three, this final work from Shelby is a perfect addition to your automotive library.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Car Tech
• Release date: Aug 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781613256381

Art Evans

Art's life is summed up in "were it not for the mercies of the God, I would have been destroyed." Art has pastored for 32 years. As a speaker, blogger, and writer his primary aim is to reach his generation and beyond with the hopeful message of the endless love, astounding mercies, and unstoppable power of Jesus Christ. Art and his wife, Wendy, founders of Art Evans Ministries, Inc. live in Louisiana and can be found online at www.artevans.com

Book preview

Preface by Carroll Shelby

This book is the story of my life: I was born in 1923 in Texas. After flying bombers in World War II, I raced during the 1950s, winning the SCCA National Championship, Le Mans, and the USAC Sports Car Championship.

During the 1960s, I opened a driving school and produced Cobras, King Cobras, and Shelby Mustangs. My cars won everything there was to win including the FIA Manufacturers’ Championship. My team ran Ford GTs and won the triple crown of racing in 1966: Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans as well as the Manufacturers’ Championship for Ford. In my spare time, I invented my very own Chili and sold it to Kraft Foods.

During the 1980s, I produced modified versions of Dodges and in 1990, got a new heart. In 1999, I built my own sports car, the Series I, from the ground up. I also began building more Cobras and Shelby Mustangs in my factory in Las Vegas.

Preface by Art Evans

As you read this book, remember that there are two authors: Carroll Shelby and I. Shelby’s words are in italics, while mine are not. Carroll Shelby and I were close friends for many years. I called him Shel. A few years ago, I made arrangements for him to publish a book about his family. Then he wanted a new edition of his book The Cobra Story and I helped him with that. So we started talking about a publishing partnership. Our first was my book The Shelby American Story.

Then he decided that he wanted to try to memorialize the story of his life. During his later years, however, his eyesight deteriorated and he found it difficult to read. But he did enjoy looking at pictures. So we started working together gathering photographs to tell his life story. His daughter, Sharon, contributed a number of them from his early life. And there were many in the archives of his companies.

In addition, many friends contributed photographs that they had taken or that were from their collections: Paul-Henri Cahier, Ginny and John Dixon, Bob D’Olivo, Will Edgar, Cliff Emmich, David Evans, Joel Finn, Dave Friedman, Jim Gessner, Carl Goodwin, Vince Howlett, Steve Johnson, Allen Kuhn, Pete Lyons, Karl Ludvigsen, Don Meacham, Peter Miles, Bill Neale, Willem Oosthoek, Lynn Park, Ken Parker, John Persselin, Rich Sparkman, Jim Sitz, Tracy Smith, Bob Tronolone, and Gordon Whitby. I think I speak for Shel when I say, Thank you all.

Also my sincere thanks to the staff at CarTech for the outstanding job they have done in bringing Shelby’s story to life.

So we started to put together his picture story, his scrapbook, as it were. Unfortunately, Shelby died before we finished. Nevertheless, after a period of mourning and depression, I completed it. I wrote some of the text. For the rest, I recorded Shel and used his words; in these cases, it’s in italics.

Special thanks to Ginny Dixon (proofreader par excellence) as well as Tracey Smith, John Dixon, and, most of all, Don Klein, who is one of the very best motorsports journalists; all have reviewed this story.

Growing Up

My first car.

Shelby’s father worked for the U.S. Postal Service. Sometimes young Carroll accompanied him. That’s Carroll looking out of the window.

He recalled, "Dad was a rural mail carrier, but contrary to what one might think, he made out pretty well at it. My earliest recollection is that he got around in a buggy in East Texas. Delivering mail was pretty hard work; he would be out from early in the morning until late at night."

Carroll Hall Shelby was born on January 11, 1923, in Texas. His father was Warren Hall Shelby who was born in 1897 in Texas and died in 1943. His mother was Francis Eloise Lawrence, born in 1903 in Texas and died in 1951. They married on April 7, 1922.

Carroll Hall Shelby was born on January 11, 1923, in Texas.

During the 1930s, the Shelby family lived in this house in the small Texas town of Leesburg.

Carroll had one sister, Lula Anne, who was born in 1926. She was also born in Leesburg, Texas. "There was just the two of us and, since there weren’t many other children around where we lived, we spent a lot of time playing together."

This formal portrait of Shelby was taken when he was 14.

"I couldn’t wait to have one of my own, which I did when I was 15 years old. When I talk about having owned a car at that age, I’m kind of overstating the facts. Actually, it was my dad’s car, but he let me spend so much time with his investment that I got to thinking of it as my own."

Shelby remembered that his dad had a succession of cars.

A teenage Carroll with his mother, Francis Eloise, and sister, Lula.

This portrait was taken with his mother when he was a few years older.

In the Service

"When World War II came along, I joined the Army Air Corps."

"After training, I got my wings and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1942."

Shelby is second from the left. I have been unable to identify the others.

"I trained in AT-11s flying over Texas."

On December 18, 1944, I married my high-school sweetheart, Jeanne Fields, while I was still in the Air Corps.

"After flying B-18 bombers, I graduated to B-25s, B-26s, and finally B-29s."

It was the practice of the Air Corps during World War II to keep the very best pilots in the United States to train others. So Shelby, although he requested it, never went into combat.

Reviews for Carroll Shelby

[purpledog-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lots of historical photographs of Carroll Shelby, and others, are found in this book. The photos are captioned so you know who is in each picture. While the book does focus on the photographical collection there are also interesting tidbits of information to be discovered. Great history of Shelby in pictures. This book would made a great coffee table book for a car/racing enthusiast’s office or for their library collection.

[waltnoise_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you are interested in Carroll Shelby’s career or cars, don’t miss this book. It is a photographic biography, as well as a pictorial record of all his cars.

[dcavin-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A really nice book. Beautiful pictures and short stories/results to go with them. Growing up in Metropolitan Detroit, cars were always a part of our lives. Especially being a Ford man (three family members totaling over 85 years for FoMoCo) I was very familiar with Shelby’s work and his awesome vehicles (Mustangs/Cobra). So amazing that these pictures exist and that Carroll was able to give feedback before he passed. I really nice book to meander through, looking at the pictures and these great points in a time long gone.

[gerella-96793 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a fantastic story about an incredible man who had an exciting and fulfilling life. If you like racing, then this is the book to read and enjoy. If you don’t like racing, you should still read it and learn how exciting and dangerous it can be. If you are a car enthusiast, then you should definitely read this book.This book entails a lot of pictures and pictures are worth a thousand words. Seeing the various models of cars and the races they were in with trophies they won made you feel as if you were there with them.Carroll Shelby’s life was as exciting as the races he entered. He flew AT-ll’s and B-18 Bombers until 1945 when he exited the service as a 2nd Lieutenant. Then he worked in the oil fields for a couple of years. He even opened a chicken ranch and when the chickens all died he was bankrupt.Racing became his life and nothing could hold him back, not even after a racing accident in Mexico. He opened a dealer and distributor business. After that he had to retire from racing because of his heart and eventually received a new heart.His love life was as exciting as his racing but winning the LeMans was the high point in his career. Nothing held him back as he opened a school for racing, built racing cars, and helped new racing drivers.This was a very well written book and the pictures enhanced everything that was written.

[mstrust · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A high-quality coffee table book about the racing legend Shelby. The photos are beautiful, showing him as a racing champion, but you can't help but notice that it's a time of glamour that is so charming.

[dalaimomma · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

With so many car books that I receive I completely dismissed this book unintentionally. This is not a book to dismiss. Carroll Shelby: A Collection Of My Favorite Racing Photos is a beautiful book. Put together by the Author Art Evans...this is a wonderful book for any car lover, car aficionado, and basically a lover of beautiful books. Art Evans, a sports car racer of the 1950's was a close friend of The Carroll Shelby. Through this friendship he has amassed an array of great memories and even greater photos of the time. Sifting through the archives of all things Carroll Shelby he was able to put this beautiful book together. Worthy I must say. Racing history...interesting and inspiring. This is a wonderful book, a great coffee table brag book, a great gift for a car racing lover. This book is sold anywhere other books are sold. My thanks to the people of LibraryThing and to Art Evans for my copy of this book that I received free in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave.

[awil19 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As one of the very important people in the car world, I really enjoyed reading about Carroll Shelby. The pictures were very interesting. Anyone who is a fan of fast cars would enjoy this book.

[hillgirl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoy car racing. This book would be great in anyone's collection if you have a lot of books on cars. The pictures are some of the best I have seen. Loved the book.

[nk1271 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Vera cool book, lots of pictures and stories. Learned some great car history!

[outdoorsman-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have always been a fan of Carroll Shelby and read quite a few books on him but this one I really enjoyed because of all the great pictures. Plus I learned a great deal more about him and how he has always loved racing and raced all over the world and many different cars. This is definitely a coffee table book and one to treasure and look at many times.

[efryan-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When this book arrived, my husband immediately opened it and didn't put it down for an hour! This is a great gift for car and racing enthusiasts. The pictures are chronologically ordered, with captions and short descriptions. Its a great history of Shelby and of the era.

[hichris123-273725 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting book. Well worth the read for car enthusiasts, and photographs help the reader picture the events and cars described. Even for those not necessarily interested in cars, this book describes the history of one of the most influential people in automotive history.