New Carroll Shelby Automotive Museum Launched at Founder’s Event

The Carroll Hall Shelby Trust unveiled plans for the new Carroll Shelby Automotive Museum at a founder’s reception on May 16, 2014, in Gardena, California. The museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization created to educate the public about the high performance automotive industry. It is being formed by the Trust around the private collection of Mr. Shelby to celebrate his legacy and to inspire future generations.

“Wilt Chamberlain changed basketball, Steve Jobs revolutionized personal electronics and Carroll Shelby changed the automotive landscape forever,” said Neil Cummings, co-Trustee for the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust and Director of the Shelby Automotive Museum. “While Carroll was one of modern America’s most iconic figures, he wanted this museum to do far more than commemorate his amazing life. When we first discussed this idea, it was Carroll’s vision to build a place that would honor the grit, ingenuity and tenacity of everyone who was part of the Shelby story. He believed it should stimulate the minds of the young, inspire other visionaries and give strength to the underdog.”

The facility will be located next to the engine factory and offices where Carroll Shelby lived, worked and created his magic for over 40 years. It is where he spent his last days, thinking about the future. It will include a portion of Mr. Shelby’s car collection, a multi-media center and an auction area. The centerpiece will be “Shelby’s Snake Pit,” an area exclusively for sponsors to share stories in an atmosphere of valuable archival documents and trophies commemorating Carroll’s many racing victories and achievements.

The invitation only Founders Reception unveiled the plans for the museum. It included some of Mr. Shelby’s collection followed by a presentation about the museum. Mr. Shelby’s children, Pat and Mike Shelby, were in attendance, along with their spouses and children. They shared personal stories of their father.

“Carroll Shelby was an amazing individual,” said Joe Conway, co-Trustee for the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust and Director of the Shelby Automotive Museum. “From his service as a military test pilot to his dominating racing career and achievements as an international automaker, he was larger than life. With the growing interest in the museum, we held this reception to share our vision for its future with those who expressed interest in helping preserve American automotive history.”

The Trustees methodically studied many revered museums to develop their plans. From the Guggenheim to the Harley Davidson Museum, they adapted the best attributes to the Southern California facility plans.

Located at 19021 South Figueroa Street in Gardena, the museum area will be approximately 40,000 square feet while the "Shelby's Snake Pit" VIP lounge will be around 5,000 square feet. An approximately 15 foot high sculpture of a Cobra will be the centerpiece of the area with a winding “road” traversing the facility. The project is being managed by Tellus Global, Inc., of Los Angeles.

The building and core collection are already secured. The charity only needs to raise $5 million to finish out the museum. A limited number of positions are available on the “Founders Wall” for a donation to the charity. Construction is expected to begin later this year with a formal opening planned in early 2015.

“Carroll’s mind never stopped creating,” said Cummings. “It's our mission to follow his lead with this unique museum and blaze another Shelby trail. The trust plans to work closely with museums across the world to create a lecture series, rotating exhibits and exclusive events. Our facilities will be open to local clubs seeking a place to meet. And we may include a permanent display for the Children’s Art Contest that Carroll championed. The close sense of community among Shelby fans will burn strongly at the Shelby Automotive Museum.”

Additional information about the new Shelby Automotive Museum is available at www.shelbymuseum.com.

About The Shelby Automotive Museum

The Shelby Automotive Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization created by the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust. Headquartered at 19021 South Figueroa Street in Gardena, California, the museum is dedicated to educating the public about the high performance American automotive industry and the legacy of Carroll Shelby. For more information, visit www.shelbymuseum.com.

TPRMGustavo Sebran, 214-520-3430 ext. 306gsebran@tprm.com

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