rumor control--has SAAC lost its use of Shelby name?

[Historybuff]

I saw this on another forum and imported it as I saw it. I haven't tried to reach my buddy who is at the SEMA show to see if it's true. But if it is, it has far reaching consequences. F'instance, what will happen to the upcoming Registers that people paid for in advance? Who will produce a magazine?'
What will be the name of the former SAAC? What about the status of the next convention? It's way past April 1st so I know it's not an April Fool's joke..but like to hear what the far reaching implications of this is, if indeed it's true...
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Bob Gaines
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kansas City MO
Posts: 124
Rep Power: 2


Important Shelby News out of SEMA

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OK guys and gals this has been a big week for news at SEMA . I was talking to Amy Boylan at Shelby and she said that Shelby Automobles has just released that they will NOT renew SAAC's contract with them and as of Feb of 08 the contract is ended. This could mean a lot of things but what I do know so far is that the people running S291 club that was started earlier this year for the late model Shelbys will be running the new " Team Shelby". Both the new and the old will be rolled up in one. They are telling SAAC to return all of the old paperwork and files.I don't know any of the other implications like the SAAC name or what else.It will be interesting to see how this unfolds . A change is coming for better or for worse. I just hope some of the invaluable people from SAAC (and there are MANY) can somehow be incorporated into this new assoiciation. www.teamshelby.com says that team shelby will be the only RECOGNIZED Shelby club and doesn't go into the anything about SAAC. It says the new inity will start up on Shelbys birthday Jan 11 08. I am a little uneasy about this change and hope it goes smoothly(yeah right).
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Bob Gaines,Shelby collector, SAAC rep,SAAC Shelby concours judge

[Fox]

What an A-hole...

[mr bruce]

How does this impact the SAAC convention in Jersey. will Club Cobra be next?

[Excaliber]

SAAC is kind of like a 'fan club', all the big names of whatever business/entertainment have them. Sometimes the fan clubs are SO good the person they honor helps them out, encourages them, it's good for business on both sides. Sometimes the celebrity has to pull the plug on his/her support for some reason.

The Harry Potter author recently did that to a fan club she used to support, now she is suing them. There 'on line' activities were one thing, now there publishing a book about Potter, they crossed the line, she sues. No doubt it will piss of a lot of people, but her point is she has to protect her intellectual property and publishing rights. The guys that run the Web Site could potentially make a LOT of money off the book. That money won't go to the 'fans' or Rowling, they are making money off HER fame with no return. I wonder if SAAC is in a similiar situation, someone making a lof money, but not Shelby, not the fans. I don't know...

How, if, where and when SAAC crossed the Shelby line I have no idea, but this kind of action is not uncommon.

[Historybuff]

This is only speculation but it could be that when Shelby appointed a new person in charge of
marketing, they looked around, discovered there was a club, saw the magazine and asked "When is the next issue?"
and were told something like "whenever the club feels like putting it out" and no doubt were unimpressed because in the world of real business you have publishing dates you stick to so advertisers can decide when to start marketing a new product. Not to mention they probably saw the ad revenue that could be made by charging Shelby dealers for full page ads.

And there is a whole world of products that haven't been tied into Shelby yet, like chronometric watches, upscale clothing (well beyond T-shirts), etc. In a way, to the right marketing person SHELBY is a name full of possibilities. One only has to look at Von Dutch clothing and what they've done with a name from an itinerent pin striper who would stripe your car for a six pack of beer!

On the new organization's website (http://www.stangsunleashed.com/teamshelby they show a magazine cover, and say it has 162 pages but my question is: does the first issue already exist? Can anyone who has one in their hand post the table of contents so we can see what the new club magazine will be covering?

[Old Phart]

Interesting information.
I wonder if this is part of the reason why Shelby hasn't attended a National Shelby convention in the last 3 years, including Las Vegas Shelby conventions not scheduled. This is sad news to me. SAAC has helped keep the Shelby cars and owners protected from fraud, countless hours of good history and record keeping, and helped Shelby continue selling the Shelby line of products.

[amy B]

Guys, What was posted is not exactly acuarate.


The SAAC team will still continue with what they do, we hhave not renewed the shelby License, but I am sure they will continue with the registry. We at Shelby will also keep the registry for all new cars and old, if the owners of cobra and vintage mustang want to join.

I did not ask for there info back or any of their stuff. We have always maintained that we would keep the new cars we build and ford builds, SAAC does not have the GT_H or the shelby GT info, that has always been ours, as with all cars going forward.

Carroll has always wanted a place for all owners and non owners who love his brand and it's right that that place be developed and built by Shelby. This will be online, up to date, from us to all of you, with events, many events, to celebrate cars, members and racing. This is a big task being under taken by us. We want you all to have a place to see up to the minute info from the company and up to the minute info on your car, whether in the registry or waiting to be built, or if you added mods, the registry will be updated automatically.

We expect this to be very different from SAAC, they do a Book and one event a year, we want this to be more and we are willing to invest in that. There will be newsletters, magazines, interviews with Carroll and the team, forums, factory and product insights....... Why not wait to see it before you judge it.

Values of the cars will not change. this is a group, a club a society built by Shelby for Shelby .

And yes we know we can not do all this ourselves. We would love to have those who wish to help join us. Thank you


Amy Boylan
President Shelby Autos.

[Historybuff]

Sometimes car companies change hands, like Bentley, and the new promotional efforts supported by the new owners are a complement to what has been done before.

So I hope that the new SHELBY TEAM club will get its magazine out on time, with regularity, and support more than one big event per year. It will be interesting if they develop regional chapters like SAAC.

But more important than that is hope that a new club effort will keep going through thick and thin, not view their new responsibilties as just a momentary promotional push to promote this new product or that, but soon to be forgotten like the Shelby Dodge Club which may still exist but seems to have faded out to the level of the Cosworth Vega club.

[Madmiles442]

Amy, thanks for being active in our little addiction over here.
I, too, agree that a bigger, better presence would benefit all. I would love more events!
I am hopeful it would remain so long after the profitability has waned and the only ones left are doing it for the love of it.

[Jollyroge]

I can tell for a fact that SAAC is not going anywhere.They will continue to publish a magazine a registry and hold a conventions.
They will continue to accumulate history and protect the value of the Shelby American vehicles as they have done faithfully for the past 32 years.
None of this will change so don't jump ship yet.
Without the existence of SAAC the value of all original Shelby American vehicles will be in jeopardy.
Jollyroge

[imagine2frolic]

Amy B,

Thanks for jumping right in just as you did with the children's fund questions. It is always best to hear it from the source....thanks again

[Cobrabill]

Kenny Howard has just been insulted.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by amy B

Guys, What was posted is not exactly acuarate.


The SAAC team will still continue with what they do, we hhave not renewed the shelby License, ...

Amy Boylan
President Shelby Autos.

Amy,

What exactly did the shelby license allow SAAC to do? And by not renewing it, what does that mean that SAAC can no longer do?

Ken

[amy B]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Amy,

What exactly did the shelby license allow SAAC to do? And by not renewing it, what does that mean that SAAC can no longer do?

Ken

SAAc was licensed to use and promoted the shelby brand and it's marks, for vintage cars, they will nolonger be allowed to do that. The name Shelby American also belongs to Carroll. They can still do their registry if they so choose, but can not promote or use the shelby marks for profit.

Carroll believes that we as Shelby should promote and support our brand and the people who support our brand and buy our products and have bought our products. I started it with the New Shelby's, and we have spent the last few months working on our new site, magazine which hit the shelves yesterday and the new team. This is and will be a huge undertaking by us, so I hope it will be what everyone wants.

I also think that anything we do as Shelby will maintain and enhance value for the cars and their owners, after all, we are Shelby.

[Excaliber]

Pretty much sounds JUST like what Rowling (Harry Potter author) is doing. The existing fan club can still do whatever it does, just don't publish using her name and licensed materials.

I'm sure you will similiar positions for Elvis fan clubs, Beatles fan clubs, etc. A careful line must be drawn some where.

[Igofastr]

Actually, it sounds more like tha A-holes from Modena who don't want to miss out on making every single possible dime from their fanbase (Not being one myself), and persist on using the "intellectual" copyright argument as a smokescreen. Of course, fan clubs could be given the right to use the name for a nominal fee, but....

Damn glad I didn't put any money into his pockets. Long live Kirkham!

PS, Can I still use Kirkham without expressed, written permission?

[Igofastr]

As I've read elsewhere...it sounds like CS has become the stodgy old institution that he once proclaimed disdain for. I guess with Enzo gone, somebody had to fill the void.

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by amy B

The SAAC team will still continue with what they do, we have not renewed the shelby License, but I am sure they will continue with the registry. We at Shelby will also keep the registry for all new cars and old, if the owners of cobra and vintage mustang want to join.
Amy Boylan
President Shelby Autos.

Amy,
Could you clarify the underlined above. Does this mean only those original Cobras and Shelby Mustangs belonging to members of the new club would be listed and tracked in your registry?

[amy B]

Originally Posted by A-Snake

Amy,
Could you clarify the underlined above. Does this mean only those original Cobras and Shelby Mustangs belonging to members of the new club would be listed and tracked in your registry?

Yes if they want to. We will try to keep everything the way it should be. I am starting with the new cars and welcome the old, but I am not ofrcing anyone to join if they don't want too.

This is not about $$ I have spent well in excess of 200K already for the site, people and technology and the rest, I will continue to build the site and the club. I don't know about the rowlings or any other, I have been working on this since Carroll and I started the turn of the business. I have a history of taking care and building a community for the collectors, I did this at Mattel for Hot wheels, I have always felt that to be closer to an organization gives you more value you can't get anywhere else and makes a company stronger in the process.

I will not answer those that insult us or Carroll. I am sorry if all don't agree. Maybe after it launches you will all like it and if not tell me how to make it better


Amy

[Excaliber]

Amy, you know you can't keep all the people happy all the time.

Carry on, and thanks a bunch for keeping us in the loop.