Company overview
Shelby American, Inc. was founded in 1962 by Carroll Shelby, initially as a sports car dealership in Venice, California. The company began with the importation and assembly of British vehicles, specifically AC cars, utilizing American V8 engines. In 1964, Shelby partnered with Ford to develop the Shelby Mustang GT350 and GT500, initially producing these vehicles at a hangar near Los Angeles International Airport. Shelby American later moved production to Michigan in 1968, as Ford took over the design and manufacturing of the Shelby Mustangs. The company’s operations were subsequently divided into Shelby Automotive, Shelby Racing Company and Shelby Parts Company in 1968. In 1982, Carroll Shelby established Shelby Wheel Company to produce aftermarket wheels. Later, he collaborated with Chrysler in 1983, creating the Dodge Shelby Charger and Omni GLH, producing performance versions of Chrysler vehicles. The current iteration of Shelby American is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International, Inc.
