My American Muscle car passion came from my late father, Alexander Ogilvie Fearn. Following his RAF National Service, dad worked in the motor trade, becoming a Ford sales executive at George McLean, Dundee, Scotland.
The Ford UK 1964 launch of the Corsair saw my brother Charles and me in dad's Ford showroom watching a Super 8 movie, Ford of Britain. This included Ford USA's all-new cars, including the Mustang. This was the spark for me, made brighter by the Jack Sears Cobra Coupe test run on the new M1 motorway in Britain which hit 185mph.
I watched the incredible Ford 1966 Le Mans 24 hours victory. I noted the mighty GT40 Mk II race cars and the 1st and 2nd places obtained by Shelby American. At the end of the race, dad told me that I should remember this legendary moment in history - the day that Ford beat Ferrari at Le Mans.
I was proud the GTs had been built at Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough, England, and that the UK had a played a fundamental part in the historic win. Although typically British, the magic was created in an unassuming small industrial unit.
Following school and university studies, I moved to England, starting my investment career in the City of London. The spark stayed inside but resurfaced when I was posted to the Cayman Islands in the late 1990s.
Cayman embraced the Southern Florida car culture and the red-hot Miami Fox Body Mustang Street Scene. I secured a 1993 5.0 GT and when I was transferred to Jersey, Channel Islands in 1998, the Fox came too!
2000 saw the birth of our daughter Cerys, and I brought my wife Cheryl and daughter back from hospital in the Fox.
I became an integral part of the UK Mustang scene, and I am a long-standing member, and now Area Secretary, for the Mustang Owners Club of GB. At this time, I restored two classic Mustang coupes.
In 2005, the new S197 Mustang received much attention, followed by the exciting 2007 GT500 launch. I secured a Super Snake build slot, but when the KR appeared with its special package and Shelby title, this became my priority. My search ended with buying KR09441 from Tasca Ford, Rhode Island, in 2009.
Bob Tasca signed the KR and it then became the first ever Shelby to be registered new in Jersey!
In August 2016, I saw the opportunity to help build the Shelby brand and grow UK Team Shelby awareness and membership. Following my application, I got the chance to represent Team Shelby for the UK region. At the 2017 Essen Motor show Team Shelby Europe was launched, and the Team Shelby British Isles journey began!
I have organised and attended some memorable VIP events in the UK and France, with the KR showcasing Shelby American. This has included special hotel stays, visits to the Beaulieu Motor Museum, Brooklands with Edsel Ford II, Le Mans, Goodwood and a wreath laying ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery. I love the Shelby Bash, and I have formed lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories from these special events. Holding a UK motorsport competition licence, I compete in events in Jersey and the UK with the Fox Body and KR.
I am enthused by the Team Shelby global community, with its empathy for enthusiasts from all walks of life who love performance, success and fun. In my business life I never does things by halves, I have been involved in some historic projects, and I love the fact that this is also how Team Shelby rolls!
I am eager to take Carroll's legacy and pioneering spirit forward and I am very excited with the UK launch of the first ever right-hand drive Shelby GT350s and Super Snakes in November 2025. I know this is a great opportunity for the UK Shelby community and I am dedicated to ensuring the part the UK has played in Carroll's life history and successes is never forgotten.
For the special anniversary events coming in 2026 and beyond, I hope to include the Team Shelby special spark, drive and enthusiasm to get things done together and to win.