SPECIAL EVENT (BOULDER) - Carroll Shelby and Other Racing Legends to Attend Shelby American Collection's 11th Annual Holiday Gala

Carroll Shelby, Bob Bondurant, Phil Remington and other racing heroes will headline the Shelby American Collection’s 11th annual celebration at its museum in Boulder on December 1, 2007. The annual holiday party honors the race history of Carroll Shelby, his legendary 1960s Shelby American Team and the automobiles they built. This year marks the 40th anniversary of their victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967, as well as the team’s championship Trans Am team. The celebration will debut an original painting by automotive fine artist Bill Neale.

“We’ve planned the most ambitious gala in the museum’s history with a prestigious guest list and historic cars that will make the evening very special,” said Steven Volk, Shelby American Collection co-founder. “Carroll and our guests will enjoy a memorable party with highlights such as the unveiling of a Bill Neale painting that will be sold that evening to benefit our endowment fund.”

Carroll Shelby, one of America’s greatest race car drivers, dominated sports car racing success in the mid-1950s, twice being named Sports Illustrated’s “Driver of the Year.” His crowning achievement as a driver came in 1959, when he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

When he retired from racing in 1960 due to a heart ailment, Shelby forged a relationship with Ford Motor Company that created performance magic. Attracting talented individuals from the aerospace community and tapping Ford’s resources, he founded Shelby American to create the legendary Cobra sports car.

In 1963, Shelby took a team of Cobras to Europe to challenge Ferrari, Porsche and Jaguar on their own turf. Bob Bondurant, Dan Gurney, Ken Miles and others captured the Grand Touring World Championship for Team Shelby in 1965. Gurney and Bondurant returned the next year for Team Shelby to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ford GT40. The team repeated their Le Mans win in 1967. At the same time, Shelby’s operations turned out the Shelby 289 and 427 Cobras, as well as Shelby GT350s and GT500s based on the Ford Mustang.

This year, the Shelby American Collection will feature the magnificent 427-powered GT40 Mk II driven by Ken Miles and Denis Hulme to second place in the three-car sweep of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. The GT40 driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon won first, while the GT40 of Ronnie Bucknam and Dick Hutcherson captured third in one of the closest finishes in the history of the endurance classic.

In addition to Carroll Shelby, museum special guests will include 1964 Le Mans GT class winner and 1965 F.I.A. World Championship driver Bob Bondurant, Shelby American Team driver Lew Spencer, team R&D Director Phil Remington, GT350 Project Manager Chuck Cantwell and Tom Yaeger. Shelby Automobiles president Amy Boylan and Bill Neale will also be on hand.

A founding member of the Automotive Fine Arts Society, Bill Neale’s paintings form the centerpiece of many exclusive private and museum collections across the globe. While a contributing artist for magazines and books, he is best known for his private commissions of cars ranging from vintage race cars to the newest models out of Munich, Detroit and Tokyo.

The Shelby American Collection’s 11th annual event is expected to draw a crowd of over 400 attendees. The party is the non-profit organization’s sole fund-raising event of the year with proceeds benefiting the ongoing operation of the Shelby American Collection museum.

About the Shelby American Collection
Founded in 1996, the Shelby American Collection is dedicated to the preservation of Shelby automobiles and the history of the 1960s Shelby American racing team. The non-profit organization's 10,000 square foot facility museum in Boulder, Colo., houses one of the world's most extensive and significant collections of Shelby American racing automobiles. The collection also includes many rare, prototypical and developmental parts, race trophies, historical records, driving and crew uniforms, artwork, vintage models and many other unique items. The Shelby American Collection museum is open to the public on Saturdays. For more information, visit the website at www.shelbyamericancollection.org.