[C5HM]

I've been reading this thread with interest after seeing a link to it from the Boss 302 Forum. And what I've been reading about old man Shelby's latest money grab is more than a little distressing for a life long Ford fan like myself. It is just about the last straw for this Ford guy. I've been into Ford high performance just about all of my life. And that's a long time. My first new car was the first 302 powered Maverick available in Central Florida that I bought from Johnny Bolton Ford (nominal sponsor of Walt Hane's '66 B/P winning R Model BTW) in 1971 (---because as an 18 year old slaving at $1.35 an hour at McDonalds, I couldn't afford a new Boss). As things turned out, Ford walked away almost completely from all things high performance the very next year. Old man Shelby was off in Africa. Those were dark days for anyone interested in Blue Oval performance and junk yard shopping was required if you wanted to go fast. Even the Ford based NASCAR teams had to frequent scrap yards--or go to Australia--for replacement parts, Ford and Shelby were out of the performance busines and couldn't have cared less about Fomoco high performance enthusiasts. National newsstand magazine offered endless articles about small block Chevrolet engines and just about nothing about Ford performance or history. Slowly "mom and pop" operations started to surface that serviced Ford enthusiasts' needs and folks like Rick Kopec, Austin Craig and Jimmy Wicks began to organize clubs to help preserve Ford racing history. As a yountg enthusiast I hung around folks with REAL Cobras (that actually got driven both on the street and the SCCA Florida State championships), first generation Shelby Mustangs and Boss cars of all stripes. I joined SAAC back in the day not because I owned a Cobra ( couldn't fit, actually) but just because of what the club was doing with Ford high performance (when absolutely NO ONE ELSE cared a whit. I've been a member since just after the club got started. Over the years, I've owned Boss 302s, a Talladega, CJ Mustangs, block long '72 LTDs, Cougars, Marauders, Broncos, F-150s and Explorers and a number of old Ford powered Grand National cars. I even built a Pinto powered Sunbeam Alpine Mk IV and suprised more than a few sporty cars owners with it at the auto cross. I've done just about eveything that can be done in the Ford performance world that I could as an enthusiast. I was very happy when Ford decided to get "re-interested" in high performance in the eighties. I've remained a FORD guy all theses years.
But perhaps no longer.
I've been becoming increasingly incensed at Ford's recent attempt to try to shake down the vendors who supply the hobby. While Ford couldn't be botherd to manufacture even an emblem or two for restorers in the late 70s, 80s and 90s, the corporation now thinks it is fine and dandy to threaten mom and pop types with major litigation if they don't pay up---sometimes for things that aren't even copy-right protected. Don Corleone would be proud. Shelby also turned his back on Ford folks in favor a front wheel drive econo-boxes. Sure, he showed up at the annual SAAC conventions to be adored (not bad work if you can get it). But besides that, he did zip, zero and nada for Ford enthusiasts. And don't even get me started about the "left over" Cobra frames that Shelby "found" in a California warehouse. In certain circles that kind of discovery can be called FRAUD. It was nothing less than naked greed and an attempt to put one over on the credulous. And then there is the recent fleecing of the folks who paid really stupid money for a certain run of puerile movie car replica Mustangs (I just can't bring myself to call them "Shelbys")---all with good ole' CS's blessing. After all, his only concern is for the SHELBY enthusiasts---right??? Isn't that the buncum that certain self interested types have been trying to sell here? No sale.
And now that avaricious old (well---you fill in the blank) Shelby has the stones to cut ties with the club that has MADE him what he is today (an icon as opposed to a broken down old has-been racer and corporate front man from the 50s and 60s). And I mean what I say. Shelby American with Shelby (as a front man for Shelby American ) accomplished a lot. But Shelby didn't do it (or even most of "it")alone. Shelby didn't turn the wrenches or design the cars. Look to folks like Ken Miles and Pete Brock (designer of the Daytona Coupe whom CS recently tried to prevent from reprising-----all in the name of the enthisiasts---right??). Frankly, without the constant laving applied by Kopec and crew these past 30+ years, who the hell would remember the old man? Stop and think about it---did Ralph Moody (a far greater influence on Ford racing than Shelby on balance) ever have a fan club? Hell no! Ralph died in relative anonimity several years back. Jack Roush has won far more races and titles than Shelby for Ford, too. But it's doubtful that 30 years hence we will be going to RAAC conventions, isn't it? So , now in the twilight of his years, Shelby has surrounded himself with toadies and Johnny come lately types and decided to shake down the clueless folks who are willing to pay thousands over sticker for the tarted up secretary's cars that the new mass produced Mustangs have become. And in that effort, his parasites have told him that he ought to cut out the fellows who MADE his legend (in the same way that Jackie "O" nurtured JFK's after his death). I've even heard that the old man has told Jimmy Wicks and other long time Shelby show promoters that the precious "Shelby" name can't be used to promote their shows any longer (I assume without ponying up some money for the privilege) To be fair, that may just be a rumor. But the deal with SAAC is all too real. Shelby seems (through his actions and the words of his mouth pieces) to be oblivious to the tremendous back-lash that his ill considered actions are going to cause. Sure, maybe the younger folks who recognize his name (THANKS TO SAAC in large measure) may still want to buy new "Shelby" MASS PRODUCED Mustangs (then again, maybe not---they are going wanting or for MSRP here in SE TX). But those folks maybe but one car purchase away from the next flavor of the month trendy car.
To all of this, I say to Hell with Shelby and to Hell with the Ford Motor Company.
The new cars I will be buying down the road won't be Ford brands. And they sure as HELL won't be "Shelbys" (even when the thousands upon thousands built of those new "limited production cars" start showing up in the auto trader). And I won't be putting one more penny in Ford or Shelby's pocket. But I will continue to pay my SAAC dues. When Shelby inevitably takes the dirt nap (he's no spring chicken), one has to wonder what the parasites he's surrounding himself with now will be doing? I DOUBT that it will be promoting Shelby events or preserving Ford performance history. Nope, not likely. They'll hop on to the next passing host and leave you true blue Ford guys in the dust. (I'll be driving my Z06 by then). Who knows, maybe Hot Wheels will still be hiring (say, come to think of it, isn't a GT500E really just a Hot Wheel writ large?). It will be up to Kopec, Wicks and Tony Branda and the like to keep the flame burning then---perhaps after FOMOCO has been bought by Toyota.