One of the titans of motor sports, race car driver and constructor Carroll Shelby passed away in Dallas today. He was 89 years old.

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

Reinhard Kargl

Journalist and media professional currently based in Los Angeles, California. Focusing on science and technology.