Born in Texas January 11, 1923, Carroll Shelby began competing in the early '50s in an MG, after serving in the U.S. Air Force as test pilot and instructor during the Second World War.

At Le Mans, Carroll Shelby had three lives. Firstly as a driver, when he won the 24 Hours 1959 at the wheel of an Aston Martin DBR1 with Roy Salvadori. After retiring from driving in October 1959 for health reasons, he founded a performance driving school and Shelby American Ltd. For a second life as a manufacturer, the Shelby Cobra Le Mans would be one of the toughest opponents of the Ferrari GTO, including fourth place for Bob Bondurant and Dan Gurney in 1964. For his third life in La Sarthe, Carroll Shelby accompanied Ford as a preparer for his conquest of the 24 hours, with four consecutive wins from 1966 to 1969.

In 1963 he developed a very special road version of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT 350 Mustang named, then the GT 500, with the emblem of the serpent which gave its name to the Shelby Cobra, whose 2013 vintage has just been unveiled in Los Angeles. Carroll Shelby has not only written some beautiful pages in the legend of Le Mans 24 Hours, but the film: he prepared the Fastback Mustang and Dodge Charger used in the famous pursuit scene of "Bullitt" the first film released in 1968 by Solar, the production company of Steve McQueen, two years before the film "Le Mans".

The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 (film clip) was a 1-2 for Aston Martin DBR1. Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori (#5) ahead of the Franco-Belgian duo of Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frere (#6).