In the early 1960s, Caroll Shelby wondered why no one in the United States built a sports car that offered European handling and balance with an American V8 engine that could be easily serviced at any car dealership or independent garage.
In 1962, Shelby created Shelby American, a new company to build his car in California. Equipped with the Ford 260 and later the 289 cubic-inch engines, the Cobra proved to be a success for Ford dealers and on racetracks worldwide. A few short years later, Ford contacted Shelby to develop a GT-production variant of the Ford Mustang that would become known as the Ford Mustang GT350. It was the decision that would fortify a generations-long relationship between the names Shelby and Ford – a relationship that continues to exist today.
