Jump to content
TEAM SHELBY FORUM

Shelby American or Automotive


Recommended Posts

This may have been discussed on the board and I just missed it.

 

I know Shelby change from Automotive to American about a year ago. Same with the Tiffany snake. So, I have both in accessories in my GTH - which one is it?

 

 

Which one is what? The original tiffany snake is Ford property. Shelby had to make it's own. It all has to do with the crazy amazing and confusing world of licensing... :banghead:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, the company was originally Shelby American as founded in 1962. In 2003, Carroll Shelby took the company 'public' and founded Carroll Shelby International. Soon after the car manufacturing portion of the company became Shelby Automobiles. Then, back in 2009 if I recall correctly, Carroll Shelby renamed the manufacturing portion Shelby American to show it's heritage.

 

The Tiffany, the Berg (there may be another name), and the front faced Cobra are related to Shelby. Ultimately, Ford does own the rights to the Tiffany logo. Ford uses the Tiffany logo on the GT500 designed with Carroll Shelby, but built them. Ford also currently uses it on the Cobra Jet models. The Berg and front faced Cobra logos are owned by Carroll Shelby Licensing, which is part of Carroll Shelby International. Confused yet? The Berg cap is definitely unique to SAI built cars, particularly the SGT in my book, but it's also used with the TS logo. The old front faced Cobra, which I don't have a name for, has been used by Carroll Shelby on the Cobra car for many years.

 

Tiffany Snake

ford-mustang-logo-picture-2589.jpg

 

Strike Snake, formerly the Berg Snake

TeamShelby-SnakeCir.jpg

 

Front face Cobra

cobra_shelby.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a lot of confusion about who owns what, so I will try to clear some up.

 

When we refer to the Shelby GT, GT-H, GT500KR and a few others, the are Shelby Autos products. New age stuff is associated with the Shelby American moniker. These are generally when we market items for those products. We wouldn't use Shelby American on a Shelby GT-H hat or shirt.

 

We don't called the "GT500 Snake" the Tiffany snake here or at Ford. It's simply the GT500 snake. The 1969 Shelby GT snake or "Berg" snake is called the "S" snake. The Shelby Cobra snake is called the "Forward Facing" or "2D."

 

For the skinny:

 

Ford cannot use the "GT500" snake with any markings next to it - to include GT350, GT500, Shelby, etc. Likewise, Shelby cannot use the "GT500" snake by itself. We must include Shelby elements within it. It's really a jointly used logo. The same with other marks.

 

Sometimes, it can get really, really confusing as to who owns what and how they are applied, but Ford and SA work together so it's all good. :mail:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Robert, you wrote, "The 1969 Shelby GT snake or "Berg" snake is called the "S" snake." Is this a typo or what is a 1969 Shelby GT? Never heard of that car. If you meant 1969 Shelbys, I thought they all had the Tiffany snake (GT 500 snake) in 1969/70.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shelby American and Shelby Automobiles are the essentially the same company. I don't think anyone will ding you for using either one. I mean, all the SGT plaques say Shelby Automobiles, and the new SGTS will say Shelby American. Finally, any Shelby snake emblem looks fine to me on any Shelby car.

 

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 1969 and 1970 models were called Shelby GTs actually. They used the "S" snake on the door panels and steering wheel. The "GT500" snake was on the front grille.

 

14_32532.jpg

1969

 

 

Robert,

 

I'm lovin' the history lesson on Shelby items/property!

 

Is there a publication that has all of this same kind of information in it, all in one place?

 

I don't mean "Shelby built XYZ cars in 19XX to 19XY...." I mean things more like the stuff you just posted about the different types of logos, who owns what and who can use what with it, and what years they were used, and....

 

Not so much "general information" as "specific information". Well, actually, a combination of BOTH would be great!

 

 

Great stuff, keep it coming,

Phill Pollard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Robert for the photo, I didn't know the cobra logo was different in 69/70. Also, everyone that I know, me included, referrred to them as GT 350's or GT 500's, I don't recall ever hearing them referred to GT's. And, to make it more confusing, they also used the GT 500 (Tiffany) cobra on the 1969 Shelbys. Apparantly Ford used two different cobra logos on these cars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Robert,

 

I'm lovin' the history lesson on Shelby items/property!

 

Is there a publication that has all of this same kind of information in it, all in one place?

 

I don't mean "Shelby built XYZ cars in 19XX to 19XY...." I mean things more like the stuff you just posted about the different types of logos, who owns what and who can use what with it, and what years they were used, and....

 

Not so much "general information" as "specific information". Well, actually, a combination of BOTH would be great!

 

 

Great stuff, keep it coming,

Phill Pollard

 

The closest thing you can get to that kind of info are the Shelby registries available on the SAAC.com website. They don't have all years as the amount of information is massive. The current registry is for years 1965,66,67. They are working on the 68-70 registry now. There also is a Cobra and GT40 registry.

They are expensive but the information included is amazing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Internally at both Ford and Shelby - even in advertisements, the 1969 cars were simply called the Shelby GTs. I am not certain why they used both the "GT500" and "S" snake on the 69/70 models at the same time. Maybe SAAC has some history on that.

 

As a little side note about the "S" snake, it has changed names several times.

 

In 1969 is was called the Shelby Cobra snake.

 

When I arrived at Shelby, it was called the drunk snake and then later the Berg snake and then the "S" snake. Now it's officially called the Strike Snake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Internally at both Ford and Shelby - even in advertisements, the 1969 cars were simply called the Shelby GTs. I am not certain why they used both the "GT500" and "S" snake on the 69/70 models at the same time. Maybe SAAC has some history on that.

 

As a little side note about the "S" snake, it has changed names several times.

 

In 1969 is was called the Shelby Cobra snake.

 

When I arrived at Shelby, it was called the drunk snake and then later the Berg snake and then the "S" snake. Now it's officially called the Strike Snake.

 

 

 

Well said, Robert!! I like "Strike Snake" LOL

 

Alex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 1969 and 1970 models were called Shelby GTs actually. They used the "S" snake on the door panels and steering wheel. The "GT500" snake was on the front grille.

 

14_32532.jpg

1969

 

 

So, the initial project name was Shelby GT? The door panel emblems say Shelby Cobra on them right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...
...