2012
INTERMOUNTAIN CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE TO FEATURE EXHIBIT HONORING
CARROLL SHELBY
Posted Bi Miguel Caparros
Posted Bi Miguel Caparros
Eight
Cars from Larry H. Miller Total Performance Museum at Miller
Motorsports Park Highlight Display
SALT
LAKE CITY, Utah (August 01, 2012) – Eight historically significant
cars from the Larry
H. Miller Total Performance Museum at Miller Motorsports Park
will be on display at the 2012 Intermountain Concours d’Elegance
September 22, 2012. These special cars comprise the centerpiece for a
display honoring legendary automotive designer and racecar driver
Carroll Shelby. “We’re
overwhelmed by the incredible cars being brought to our event by the
Miller family, and see this as an outstanding way to not only pay
tribute to Carroll Shelby, but to also carry forward Larry Miller’s
passion for the cars Shelby built, raced and influenced,” said
Chris Purdhum, Concours Chairman.
Carroll
Shelby created the iconic Shelby Cobra sports car, and he developed
the Shelby Mustang and the Ford GT40. He managed racing teams for
Ford Motor Company that won championships on both sides of the
Atlantic. He inspired thousands of people through his long career,
and one of those people was the late Larry H. Miller.
Reflecting
on the loss of his friend, Shelby said in a 2011 interview, “It was
a sad day when we lost Larry, especially the way we had to lose him.
He was my friend for many years. He was one of the first early
collectors of my Cobras. He recognized before anybody that they were
going to be worth something someday. You can’t say enough
superlatives about Larry. He was a very giving man, and he was an
absolute workaholic: he’s the only guy I ever knew besides Roger
Penske who worked 36 hours a day. I loved Larry.”
“This
display will not only be incredible to witness up close and personal,
it will serve to educate event visitors about the magnificent vision
and creative genius of Carroll Shelby. From the first Cobra that
raced, to the Cobra one can spot in the movie “Viva Las Vegas”,
this is something everyone needs to experience,” said Purdum. Early
Concours entries value well over $15,000,000 and the event is
attracting collectors from as far away as Florida.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Intermountain12
About
Miller Motorsports Park and the Larry H. Miller Total Performance
Automobile Museum
Once
he had achieved some success as an auto dealer, Larry Miller finally
found an opportunity to purchase a Shelby Cobra. One Cobra led to
another, and another, and another, and the result is the Larry H.
Miller Total Performance Automobile Museum. A few of Larry’s cars
are on loan to the Shelby American Collection in Colorado, but the
majority of his collection resides at his state-of-art motorsports
complex, Miller Motorsports Park, located just outside Salt Lake City
in Tooele, Utah. Almost every car on display is capable of being
driven, and until Larry’s death in February 2009, a number of them
competed in vintage racing events on both sides of the
Atlantic. More: http://www.millermotorsportspark.com
Following
is a list of historically significant cars from
the Larry H. Miller Total Performance Museum that
will be on display Saturday, September 22, 2012 at the Intermountain
Concours d’Elegance at The Gardens of Thanksgiving Point in Lehi,
Utah.
1964
Shelby Cobra CSX-2299: This
is one of six specially-built coupes built to compete on European
tracks that were longer and faster than American tracks. They were
nicknamed “Daytona Coupes” after they made their debut in the
1964 24 Hours of Daytona. This was the second built, and has the best
racing record of them all, finishing first in the GT class and fourth
overall in its debut race at Le Mans with Dan Gurney and Bob
Bondurant (handing Ferrari its first defeat in the GT class at Le
Mans since the class was established in 1959), and took the same
result in the season-ending Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in England
with Gurney. It also took first in GT and second overall in the 1965
24 Hours of Daytona (Jo Schlesser/Hal Keck) and first in GT/fourth
overall in the 1965 12 Hours of Sebring (Bondurant/Schlesser),
helping Shelby become the first (and, to date, only) American
manufacturer to win the FIA GT World Manufacturers Championship.
CSX-2299 is considered the most valuable Cobra in existence, and
perhaps the most valuable car in America.
1966
Ford GT40 Mk II P-1015: One
of the most significant Ford GT40s ever, this Mk II finished second
in what was arguably the most controversial finish in the history of
the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. This car, co-driven by Ken Miles
and Denis Hulme, was leading in the final hour, with another GT40
(Jacky Ickx/Chris Amon) in second on the same lap. Ford executives
called for a “photo finish” and the Ickx/Amon car actually took
the checkered flag first, robbing Shelby development driver Miles,
who had already won at Daytona and Sebring that year, the chance to
be the first man to win the “Big 3” of endurance races
(Daytona/Sebring/Le Mans).
1962
Shelby Cobra CSX-2002: This
was the third Cobra ever built, and the first built in Carroll
Shelby’s shop in Venice, California. It was also the first Cobra
ever to race, driven by Billy Krause in the Los
Angeles Times Grand
Prix at California’s Riverside International Raceway in October
1962.
1967
Ford GT Mk IV J4: The
final iteration of the Ford GT, only four J-Car prototypes were built
before Mk lV production was finalized. This is the final prototype
chassis and the car utilized in testing to determine the final body
shape of the Mk lV. It raced only once, in the 1967 12 Hours of
Sebring with Mario Andretti and Bruce McLaren, but it qualified on
pole and won the race, bringing the first victory for a Mk IV.
1963
Shelby Cobra CSX-2128: This
was one of two Cobras built for the 1963 12 Hours of Sebring with
rack-and-pinion steering. In its original color scheme, it was
photographed to appear on the cover of “Hey Little Cobra,” a
record album recorded by The Rip Chords. This was the car that caused
Larry Miller to fall in love with Cobras. In January 2005, Larry
purchased this car after placing highest bid at auction against none
other than George Lucas, who had been on the crew when the car was
subsequently owned by San Francisco-based Allan Grant and designed
the livery used on the car at that time, which was reversed from the
original black-with-yellow scheme.
1962
Shelby Cobra CSX-2019: This
unrestored Cobra was originally a “PR car” for Shelby, used in
promotional pieces and magazine articles. It was painted different
colors for different magazine features, to appear as though there
were many cars. In the summer of 1963, it was rented to MGM Studios
for use in the Elvis Presley movie “Viva Las Vegas” (red Cobra
No. 98). In late 1963, it became the “Dragonsnake,” or drag
racing-equipped Cobra, with which employees from Shelby’s
production-car facility won a national championship and spurred a
line of drag-racing parts offered by Shelby.
1964
Shelby Cobra CSX-2488: This
Cobra was built
as a USRRC team car. It was raced by team drivers Dan Gerber (scion
of the Gerber Baby Food family), Bob Johnson and Ed Leslie from
1964-66. It won overall at Mosport (FIA) and Grattan (SCCA) in 1965,
and was first in class at Mid-Ohio (USRRC) and second in class at
Nassau (FIA). After the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, it was loaned to
Universal Studios for the movie “Redline 7000”. Gerber bought the
car himself in 2000. Legend has it that he changed the Gerber Baby
Food can on the doors to read “Prune Mush” in deference to his
advancing age.
1965
Shelby Mustang GT-350R SFM5R535:
Shelby Mustangs are among the most collectible cars in the world, but
the most desirable of them all are the 36 GT-350Rs built in 1965 as
pure racing cars. This car is number 35 of only 36 purpose-built race
cars assembled in Carroll Shelby’s first shop in Venice,
California.
Media Contact
Cindy A. Meitle/CAR PR USA
(480) 277-1864
.
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