Shelby American to Celebrate 45th Anniversary of Big Block Cobra and G.T.350 at Barrett-Jackson Gala in Scottsdale

--  Shelby American will sponsor the Opening Night at Barrett-Jackson Gala
    on Jan. 18
--  The evening will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the G.T.350 and big
    block Cobra
--  Shelby American plans special surprises at the celebration with live
    coverage at teamshelby.com

Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (PINKSHEETS: CSBI), will honor the 45th anniversary of the 427 Cobra and Shelby G.T.350 by sponsoring the Opening Night Gala for the 39th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale on Jan. 18, 2010, at WestWorld. Some of the highest profile people in car collecting are expected at the invitation only gala with live video coverage on www.teamshelby.com.

"Our annual gala has become one of the 'must attend' events on both the Scottsdale social scene and automotive calendar," said Barrett-Jackson Chairman/CEO, Craig Jackson. "From racing drivers to billionaires and Hollywood's brightest, some call it the star studded equivalent to the 'academy awards' for car enthusiasts. This year, we expect it to be one of the most exciting events in our history as we celebrate the birth of two of the world's most exciting cars, the GT350 and big block Cobra, as well as share the festivities live for the first time via online broadcasting."

The Opening Night Gala is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. Car collectors, celebrities, motorsports legends and the general public mingle to talk about their favorite hobby. Barrett-Jackson serves hors d' oeuvres and cocktails, as well as provides entertainment and a showcase car preview from 7:30-10:30 p.m. (MST) inside the auction tent at Westworld. This year's gala, which is also supported by Planet Color, will commemorate two creations from one of the most prolific men in the auto industry, Carroll Shelby.

"In 1965, Shelby American rocked the performance car world with the iconic G.T.350 and big block Cobra," stated Amy Boylan, president of Shelby American. "With the anniversary of those two revered models, we wanted to celebrate that heritage at a place that has become a focal point of the car hobby. The passion for Shelby cars at Barrett-Jackson over the years makes it the perfect place to honor this important milestone."

One of America's greatest race car drivers, Carroll Shelby dominated sports car racing in the mid-1950s, including a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After retiring from racing because of a heart ailment, he founded Shelby American to manufacture performance cars. The company's first was the legendary Cobra sports car in 1962. Three years later, Shelby unveiled a big block version of the Cobra.

About that same time, Ford asked Shelby to turn the Mustang into a dominant muscle car. The Shelby team put Mustang at the pinnacle of the performance world with the Shelby G.T.350 and Shelby G.T.500. Shelby American also offered high performance parts, produced one-off cars and was involved in racing. From drag strips to road racing circuits, Shelby cars were revered by fans and feared by competitors.

"Barrett-Jackson has a long, distinguished history with Shelby," added Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. "We celebrated Carroll's 75th and 80th birthdays during previous galas. We sold his personal Super Snake for $5 million, as well as many vintage and current model Shelby cars. We've also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for his charities. It's an honor to host this celebration of two cars that helped cement the Shelby legend."

The gala will kick off the auction that features a docket of spectacular cars slated to be sold at No Reserve from Jan. 18-24. SPEED will broadcast nearly 39 hours of live, high-definition coverage of all six auction days.

About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company

Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces "The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions(TM)" in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla., Las Vegas and Orange County, Calif. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance offering for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694.

About Shelby American, Inc. and Carroll Shelby Licensing

Founded by legend Carroll Shelby, Shelby American Inc., (www.shelbyamerican.com) manufactures and markets performance vehicles and related products. Shelby American is a division of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (CSBI.PK). Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc., also a wholly owned division, is the exclusive holder of Carroll Shelby's trademarks and vehicle design rights. It also holds trademark rights for Shelby-branded apparel, accessories and collectibles. Info is at www.carrollshelbyinternational.com.

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine

Media Contact: Scott Black TPRM (214) 520-3430 ext. 303 Email Contact

Carroll Shelby (CE) (USOTC:CSBI)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024