'He Was Just Grandpa to Us': Carroll Shelby’s Grandson Aaron on Growing Up with a Legend (The Drive)
Aaron Shelby talks about what it's like to carry on the legacy Carroll built …
Ford’s Mustang Shelby GT500 is in its second model year, and it’s a beast. It has a 760-horsepower supercharged V8; plush Recaro sport seats; and lighter, wider tires than it’s ever had. Driving it on the track at the Texas Motor Speedway a few weeks ago, I got to test out the 0-60 sprint and whip it around the oval. It shifts in a stunning 80 milliseconds and the six-piston Brembos stop the GT500 quickly and smoothly. I'm smitten.
The man behind the Shelby legacy, of course, is Carroll himself. By now, you’ve seen Ford v Ferrari with Matt Damon playing the inimitable automotive designer and entrepreneur, and that gives you just a taste of who Carroll really was. He passed away almost a decade ago, but his grandson Aaron Shelby carries the torch his grandfather lit back in the ‘60s. I wondered what it was like holding up a name that is synonymous with muscle car history, and Aaron was gracious enough to sit down with me to talk about it.
(photo credit: The Drive)
