Shelby American Shifts Focus

[robertlane]

Unless you've been living in a cave on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, you've no doubt heard of the auto industry's recent struggles -- particularly the trials and tribulations of General Motors and Chrysler. But what has received considerably less attention from the media is the plight of the aftermarket business. After all, if Americans aren't buying cars, then it stands to reason they're spending even less on non-essentials like aftermarket parts.

 

Shelby American, like many aftermarket outfitters, is feeling the economy's pinch. Though a large and loyal customer base and a tie-up with Ford have helped blunt the impact, the team at Shelby knows business as usual won't be enough to see it through to better days. In addition, company president Amy Boylan has left the building, replaced by longtime Shelby soldier John Luft. We had a chance to talk recently with the newly installed president to assess the company and its future.

 

Shelby American President John Luft In Office

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Luft spent the past decade at Carroll Shelby Licensing, most recently as its president, a position he retains along with his new duties as president of Shelby American. He's the man behind Shelby's aggressive push to protect its name from infringement, and he's proud of it.

 

"We've been doing what we have to to protect our trademarks," Luft told Motor Trend. It's a predicament Shelby knows all too well after protracted legal battles with outfits building unauthorized replicas of classic Shelby cars -- battles that haven't always gone as well as the company had hoped.

 

That won't stop it from trying, though. Luft knows companies that don't protect their trademarks can lose them, and he has no interest in seeing poor quality replicas on the street damaging the Shelby brand and the value of real Shelby vehicles. As Luft sees it, he is protecting Shelby's loyal customers, as well as licensees who make authorized Shelby products, whom Luft says are some of the company's best watchdogs when it comes to knock-offs.

 

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/1005_shelby_american_shifts_focus/index.html#ixzz0sAthq34f

[David Hawkins]

Great Article

[kb67]

I recently saw a show that was following a 66 427 SC factory racer at auction with Hagerty owner wanted about 5 million was crushed when it didn't hit that think it sold after auction for about 1.16million the economy has made very little opportunity to have "nice to haves". So for SA to decide to fully utilize their inhouse assets and keep their partners in close view sounds to be a solid plan, makes good business sense. Also being flexibly is good for long term success.

 

 

Hoping SA has a successfully and long future

[weluv2fish4bass]

I recently saw a show that was following a 66 427 SC factory racer at auction with Hagerty owner wanted about 5 million was crushed when it didn't hit that think it sold after auction for about 1.16million the economy has made very little opportunity to have "nice to haves". So for SA to decide to fully utilize their inhouse assets and keep their partners in close view sounds to be a solid plan, makes good business sense. Also being flexibly is good for long term success.

 

 

Hoping SA has a successfully and long future

 

 

hmmm, with all due respect, I believe you may have gotten slightly confused or it might have been a different show but last night on the speed chanel, I was watching a show called Chasing Classic Cars ( or something like that..), They were at a RESERVE auction and the owner was holding out for 1.5 Million, the bids only hit 1.2 and there was no sale..( though after the auction it did sell for 1.1 mill..)The car was a 427 SC, gaurdsman blue with white strips, also was # 3036 I believe...but the star of the show was an original daytona coupe, and those guys were holding out for 5 mill, but those bids I believe got to half of that and obviously no sale..That car was also gaurdsman blue with white stripes...

 

again, with all due respect, could you have possibly mixed up the 2 cars..?

[Son of GT]

hmmm, with all due respect, I believe you may have gotten slightly confused or it might have been a different show but last night on the speed chanel, I was watching a show called Chasing Classic Cars ( or something like that..), They were at a RESERVE auction and the owner was holding out for 1.5 Million, the bids only hit 1.2 and there was no sale..( though after the auction it did sell for 1.1 mill..)The car was a 427 SC, gaurdsman blue with white strips, also was # 3036 I believe...but the star of the show was an original daytona coupe, and those guys were holding out for 5 mill, but those bids I believe got to half of that and obviously no sale..That car was also gaurdsman blue with white stripes...

 

again, with all due respect, could you have possibly mixed up the 2 cars..?

 

You're spot on about the 427 SC car, but for clarity, Dana Mecum was holding out for nothing less than 8 million (he thought the car would/could fetch 11 million) for the Bondurant Daytona Coupe. It was a no sale at 6.8 Million, but was sold a few months later at the Mecum Monterey (CA) aucton for 7.6 million.

[weluv2fish4bass]

You're spot on about the 427 SC car, but for clarity, Dana Mecum was holding out for nothing less than 8 million (he thought the car would/could fetch 11 million) for the Bondurant Daytona Coupe. It was a no sale at 6.8 Million, but was sold a few months later at the Mecum Monterey (CA) aucton for 7.6 million.

 

 

 

Thank you..I stand corrected... :D I do remember something about Mecum now that you mentioned that..

 

Thats probably about the time my lay-z-butt, landed on my lay-z-boy, and my eyes got heavy....happens all the time. Seems like I have it all backwards..I end up sleeping during the shows, and waking up during commercials.!! thanks again..

[Alexandros]

 

 

Robert, thanks for sharing....Interesting article....