Shelby takes its muscle overseas -- and to the mall

Posted on 8/24/2015 3:26:29 PM

Shelby American, the company known for converting Ford Mustangs in the corridors of power of the high street, put your performance cars on the streets of China, England, South Africa and other countries.

But not necessarily with much power.

The sports car manufacturer Las Vegas has begun enrolling overseas partners to sell Shelby vehicles produced in Las Vegas and to produce its own, using the trained technical specifications Shelby and Shelby.

In recent months, the company has reached an agreement with Ford Lio Ho, a production company and China's auto retailer that is 70 percent owned by Ford Motor Co. to become a certified Shelby retail and vehicle modification shop there. Shelby has also signed similar agreements with operators in Canada, Australia, UK and South Africa, says Neil Cummings, co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International, the holding company that owns Shelby American.

"We know there are people around the world who know the name of Shelby and want our vehicles," Cummings told Automotive News this month for luxury cars and performance of annual events here. "Our Chinese partners are very excited to start selling there. They tell us that the sky is the limit."


Retail stores

In addition, each new store will require Shelby abroad to open an online store to sell the Shelby American Apparel and competing products.

This requirement is part of a second new adventure for Shelby American, Cummings said the company plans to begin opening stores in shopping centers in the United States, similar to open stores by Harley-Davidson and NASCAR model.

Cummings declined to say how many stores that the company expects to open diesel engine plungers, or wherever.

It is estimated that the launch of car sales channels abroad is likely to increase the volume of Shelby American vehicles in up to a third.

Shelby American was founded in 1962 by the American racing icon Carroll Shelby, who made his name creating the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and GT350.


Continuing

The company produces and sells performance modifications, auto parts aftermarket, Shelby oriented clothing, and replicas of the older classic cars, as a limited edition 50th anniversary recreation recently announced the 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe.

When Carroll Shelby died in 2012, the company pledged to continue its image with new pumping supercharged models 750, 850 and 1,000 hp.

But Cummings acknowledged that many foreign buyers face restrictions on engine power normally associated with the Shelby cars in America.

He said that in many cases, foreign models will be equipped with smaller and more fuel efficient Ford EcoBoost turbo engines. A four-cylinder EcoBoost Shelby produce 305 hp or 345 hp with the added tuning.

Cummings said the global campaign Shelby American has become possible because Ford has made the Mustang a global car. Ford Mustang began to export this year thanks to a new design that makes set by local regulations and preferences easiest techniques to 100 markets worldwide.

Because the Mustang was redesigned for export, he said the Shelby Mustang variations can also be adapted to world markets.

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