Generational Fire
Three of Shelby’s Grandsons Help Keep His Legacy Alive
by Steve Statham
Carroll Shelby is renowned for his racing victories and the performance vehicles that bear his name. But he left another legacy behind, a family one. That family line includes grandchildren keenly interested in preserving and expanding Carroll’s impact on the world.
Three of Carroll’s grandsons, Aaron (53), Randall (51) and Shawn (45), are active in various Shelby enterprises and the community. Their father, Patrick, was one of three children from Carroll’s marriage to his first wife Jeanne. The three brothers had an upbringing that immersed them in Carroll’s legacy, from the cars and the people to the larger-than-life stories.
Their first introduction to Carroll Shelby wasn’t as a famous race car driver or sports car company founder. He was simply grandpa.
“We didn’t know his history. We didn’t know what he accomplished in the 1950s and 60s,” Randall recalled. “We were children of the ’70s. We slept in shirts with the Shelby name and logos on them but didn’t think twice about it until later. That is when we started wondering why the shirt had our name on it.
“We’d go to a few car shows and events with him and see the crowds. We started to learn more on our own. He wasn’t promoting his past to us. He was grandpa, and he was more interested in asking us what we were up to.”
As the years passed, they learned more about Carroll’s accomplishments and today each of them contributes in his own way to keep the flames burning.
“The Carroll Shelby Foundation is a big part of what he wanted to be remembered for,” Aaron said. “I’m honored to be co-president of the charity and expand the relationships it needs to accomplish its mission, which is helping kids get auto tech education and helping families with children going through transplant care. I spend a lot of time on CSF and it’s important for me to help grow his legacy that way.”
Randall made his mark helping fans connect with each other in the early days of the internet. He started shelbyforums.com in 2003, the first online forum dedicated to all things Shelby.
“Forums were picking up and people were communicating. There were a lot of chat groups on Yahoo! and some of the other big internet brands at the time,” Randall said. “Then companies started making forum software so you could build a website and tailor it to a specific subject. If you could lure people in, you could really build a community around their passion. There wasn’t a Shelby-specific forum, and so I started one.
“It was a very thriving community. People shared all sorts of information on the history of the cars, and in particular restorations and discussions over original parts, and race history.”
Shawn enjoys attending Shelby events, hearing stories and being among fans. “I was privileged to be an honorary board member of the Great Lakes Region Team Shelby chapter for a while, as we lived in Ohio for seven years. I love to be able to support Team Shelby any way I can. I think it’s a fantastic organization. Its primarily fan driven, which is why it’s been so successful. You have this passion behind it, and it’s driven by people who dearly care.”
Shelby’s renewal of ties with Ford Motor Company opened the doors for Carroll’s grandsons to tread some of the same trails that he blazed.
“I was at Le Mans in 2016 with my family when Ford returned. Edsel Ford asked me to ride with him on the parade lap in a Ford GT around Le Mans,” Aaron said. “How special is that? Edsel invited me join him because of his close relationship with Carroll.”
“One of my favorite memories was going to the Goodwood Revival in 2015,” Shawn noted. “Someone arranged for all six original Daytonas, which are scattered throughout the world with their various owners, to be displayed. We saw all six of them together for the first time I believe, since they were assembled at different times. Then they started up and lapped the racetrack.”
The 2019 movie Ford v Ferrari provided the brothers with another link to Carroll’s legacy. Besides the pre-release screenings and opportunity to interact with stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale, they each bought one of the movie cars once production had wrapped up.
Shawn purchased the replica of Carroll’s Le Mans winning Aston Martin DBR1 through Billy Stabile of Hollywood Car Company, which had supplied vehicles for the movie. “Le Mans 1959 is a seminal part of Carroll’s legacy,” Shawn added. “In the film, it’s the first and I think one of the most memorable scenes. I felt like that was a really cool bit of history to have.” The car is currently on display at the Shelby American Heritage Center in Las Vegas.
Randall snagged the white Shelby Cobra roadster driven by Christian Bale as Ken Miles, while Aaron bought the blue Cobra that portrayed CSX2000 in the film. Both were leased to the studio by Superformance and offered to Aaron and Randall once the cars were returned.
“I immediately went for CSX2000 because it’s one of the star cars of the movie, and it also speaks to my role with the company today,” Aaron said. “I was involved in the promotion of the selling of original CSX2000 in 2016 with photo shoots and appearances. This car represents history that was special for me.”
Carroll’s Texas roots are another part of his legacy that the family embraces. His farm in Pittsburg, in East Texas, was a gathering place for family.
“It was important for him to maintain that connection to his home,” Randall said. “He’d been in Los Angeles for a long time, but he often said Pittsburg was where he felt most at home. Nobody bothered him. Carroll could go to the store or do whatever he needed and felt it was a relaxing connection to his past.
“He left the grandkids a piece of property there so we could visit. We’ve had the ability to continue doing that and bring our own kids to it.”
“Growing up, we used to go out there all the time. Whenever he came to Texas, nine times out of ten that is where we could find Carroll,” Shawn recalled. “I learned to drive out there. I went to the farm with my father one day when I was probably 14, because I didn’t have a permit yet. We pulled up and had just arrived when Carroll said, ‘Have you driven a car yet?’ And I said, ‘no sir.’ He said, ‘Come on.’ He kept several vehicles there, Jeeps and stuff he would get from Dodge. We jumped in a stick-shift Jeep Wrangler and drove up and down. He taught me how to shift and drive. And almost immediately took me out on the 2-lane highway with other cars whipping by. That’s one of my favorite memories.”
“Carroll was always very proud of being from Texas,” Aaron remembered. “While he didn’t live here a whole lot in the last half of his life, he maintained his farm and still had relatives beyond his immediate family there. He really felt at home in Texas and would come here to recharge.
“Texas to him was important, and I think it is important for our local family history. He went to Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, where he met my grandmother. As Dallas and Texas have grown, there aren’t a lot of multi-generation families left. So many people have moved into the state in the last 25 years. It’s rare to be able to say, ‘My grandparents went to high school in Dallas, and I went to high school in Dallas, as did my parents.’ It’s special.”
Interacting with Shelby fans may be the biggest and most enjoyable part of the three brothers’ adventures.
“I think having the physical presence of family members at Shelby oriented events is really important,” Aaron said. “It’s amazing how many people are excited that we’re there. We didn’t create any of these cars, we’re his grandchildren. But having that family lineage really connects the present with the history that Shelby represents.”