79R17918 MMS-D

By:  Dunnam                                                       H.R. No. 1943



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Carroll Hall Shelby, a Texas native, has put an 
indelible stamp on the automotive industry through his achievements 
as a race car driver, owner, team manager, manufacturer, and 
consultant; and
	WHEREAS, Born in Leesburg on January 11, 1923, Mr. Shelby 
graduated from high school in Dallas and served as a flight 
instructor and test pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II; 
after the war, he took up several occupations before becoming a 
professional race car driver in 1954; and
	WHEREAS, His first year as a driver, Mr. Shelby broke land 
speed records for Austin Healey, and in 1959 he won the 24-hour Le 
Mans alongside teammate Roy Salvadori; in 1956 and 1957, Sports 
Illustrated named him Sports Car Driver of the Year, and in 1960 he 
won the USAC championship; and
	WHEREAS, Forced to retire from driving because of his health, 
Mr. Shelby formed Shelby-American in 1962 and began work on a car he 
named the Cobra; three years later, the Cobra ended Ferrari's 
domination of the FIA World Manufacturers' Championship when it 
became the only American car ever to take that prize; in 1999, Motor 
TrendMagazine named the original Cobra Roadster as the most 
significant car of the past 50 years; and
	WHEREAS, During the 1960s, Mr. Shelby's racing team also 
drove GT40s for Ford in international competition; the team took 
first, second, and third place at Le Mans in 1966 and won at Le Mans 
again in 1967, the same year it secured for Ford the Trans-Am 
Manufacturer's title; and
	WHEREAS, In addition to working with Ford on the GT40 and the 
Shelby GT350 and GT500 Mustangs, Mr. Shelby conceived a sports car 
for Chrysler that debuted in 1989 as the Viper; while continuing to 
develop the Cobra, he has also designed and manufactured the Shelby 
Series 1 sports car, and he is presently collaborating with Ford and 
with Unique Performance of Farmers Branch to create still other 
vehicles; and
	WHEREAS, Deeply committed to lessening the automobile's 
impact on the environment, Mr. Shelby serves today as president of 
Advanced Engine Technologies, Inc., where he is leading the 
development of a radically new, more environmentally friendly, 
internal combustion engine; and
	WHEREAS, He has also purchased a ranch near Annona, in Red 
River County, which he is planning to make his principal residence 
and which will give his herd of Tulli cattle room to roam; even 
while living on the West Coast, Mr. Shelby maintained a connection 
with his Texas roots; notable among his Texas-related ventures have 
been the launch of a successful chili company and the inauguration, 
with Frank Tolbert, of the Terlingua chili cook-off, now in its 39th 
year; and
	WHEREAS, In 1990, after contending for decades with a serious 
heart ailment, Mr. Shelby received a heart transplant; the 
following year, he established the Carroll Shelby Children's 
Foundation, to provide assistance for acute coronary and kidney 
care for indigent children; and
	WHEREAS, Carroll Shelby was inducted into the International 
Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Automotive Hall of Fame in 
1992; and
	WHEREAS, An exceptionally talented and accomplished driver, 
this legendary Texan has contributed immeasurably to the 
advancement of automotive design and technology, and through his 
concern for the larger good he is touching the lives of people 
around the world; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor Carroll Hall Shelby for his lifetime 
achievements and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued 
success in all his endeavors; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Mr. Shelby as an expression of high regard by the Texas 
House of Representatives.