Carroll Shelby To Be Honored for Lifetime Achievement

(AIAG: Detroit, Michigan) -- The 2008 Automotive Executive of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to industry legend Carroll Shelby at an invitation-only luncheon at the Detroit Athletic Club on April 16. Approximately 225 automotive original equipment manufacturer executives and supplier leaders are expected to attend the event.

The award has recognized excellence in automotive leadership from OEM executives since 1964. Past winners include Jim Press, Bill Ford Jr., Dieter Zetsche, Rick Wagoner, Henry Ford II, Robert Eaton, Thomas Stallkamp, Roger Smith, Harold E. Poling, Lee Iacocca, and John DeLorean.

The award is sponsored by DNV Certification and the Automotive Industry Action Group. The Automotive Executive of the Year Award nominating committee is composed of automotive industry media, various industry analysts and automotive supplier CEOs.

“As Carroll Shelby celebrates his 85th birthday this year, it is the perfect time to honor him with an Automotive Executive of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award,” says Robert Djurovic, DNV Certification’s director of automotive services–North America and chairman of the nominating committee. “His ongoing energy and commitment amaze us all. As he has done throughout his career, he continues to push the envelope—as well as everyone in the industry—to new levels of performance.”

Born January 11, 1923 in Leesburg, Texas, Shelby attended high school in Dallas and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving in World War II as a flight instructor and test pilot.

In the mid-1950s, he was a chicken farmer until his birds died from disease, and a friend encouraged him to try car racing. His victories at the amateur level led him to become a professional driver.

Shelby’s inspiration and vision have made him the force behind many of the industry’s most beloved automobiles, including the Cobra, Series 1, Ford GT40, Viper, Ford Shelby Mustangs, and the Ford GT. He captured three national sports car championships and earned a spot on the Aston-Martin racing team. In his driving career, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and set land speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats. He’s the only man to ever win Le Mans as a driver, team owner, and manufacturer.

He was named Sports Illustrated’s Driver of the Year in 1956 and 1957, and his countless achievements in the motor sports world led to his induction into the Automobile Hall of Fame and the International MotorSports Hall of Fame. In 2006, Motor Trend named Carroll Shelby one of the 50 most important people in the auto industry.

“I’ve had a lot of fun over my life with cars and I’m not done yet,” says Shelby. “Much of my success has been due to wonderful people who joined one of my racing teams or companies. That holds true today with the great team building exciting cars at Shelby Automobiles. I’m honored to receive this award because it also recognizes all of their hard work and tenacity.”

Shelby is also known for his philanthropic efforts. After undergoing successful heart transplant surgery, he created the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation in October 1991, dedicated to providing assistance for acute coronary and kidney care for children in need.

“Carroll Shelby has a special brand of success,” says Djurovic. “As a race driver, team owner, designer, engineer, manufacturer, and consultant, few individuals have experienced the auto industry as he has, and few have impacted so many people’s experience of it so deeply.”

“Recognizing Carroll Shelby with a Lifetime Achievement award is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the delicate balance between styling and performance that is fundamental to truly exceptional automotive design,” says J. Scot Sharland, executive director of AIAG. “Mr. Shelby’s personal and professional contributions to our industry are legendary. The simple mention of his name lights up the faces of car enthusiasts worldwide.”

For more information, visit www.aiag.org/staticcontent/press/releases/GENERAL/02072008_%20release_AEOY.pdf.

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