DALLAS — For decades, Aaron Shelby and his family heard from Hollywood figures that the story of his grandfather, Carroll, was one fit for the silver screen. After all, Carroll Shelby was a racing legend and a name revered in the auto industry as one of the finest car designers with Carroll American.
“It was tied to Brad Pitt, then Tom Cruise, before that Nick Cage had it,” said Aaron. “Probably for 25 years, we have heard there was going to be a movie.”
But things finally got kick-started in 2017 when director James Mangold entered the picture.
This week, the story longing to be told finally hits the big screen this weekend with the release of "Ford v Ferrari" starring Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby.
“I don’t know if they look a lot alike, but Damon does a great job of getting the essence of his character across.”
A graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Carroll’s Texas persona made him a fascinating figure on the European racing circuits. One of Aaron’s favorite pictures of his grandfather is of him in England, cowboy boots in hand.
“They called him the ten-gallon hat man,” said Aaron. “When they thought of Texas, they thought of cowboys and oil and that is what Carroll personified.”
In much of the movie, Damon is wearing the same black cowboy hat Carroll was known to wear.
The movie chronicles Carroll’s efforts to design a race car for Ford capable of outrunning perennial champion Ferrari at the 24 hours of Le Mans Grand Prix in 1966. It is a significant chapter in the history of American automotive racing but Carroll’s legacy, both before and after, are still meticulously maintained at a Shelby family garage in Dallas.
“We have about 20 collector cars.”
From various Shelby Mustangs adorned with “Shelby stripes” to the Cobra you see Matt Damon driving in the movie.
They even have the 1948 MG TC, Carroll’s first race car. And it still runs.
“It is fun to take to shows and show off some of Carroll’s history,” said Aaron.
Carroll passed away in 2012 but Carroll Shelby International is still very much a renowned car designer in the industry. In Dallas, an apartment complex called The Shelby sits on SMU Boulevard in the same location where his auto dealership once stood.
Aaron Shelby is the Executive Vice President of LegacyTexas Bank and each summer, they host the Shelby Car Show. In 2019, they celebrated their 10th year.
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