>So Paul, you missed out on a good sum of money. If you had charged every GT/CS owner $50 per year to be in the registry how much money would you have made?
I didn't expect to say much about this, just sit on the sidelines but....I realize your sarcasm (LOL), although I'd never charge folks to just belong to the Registry. As I hope everyone has known all these years, I do this for the love of the GT/CS, and helping owners.
>The 3 guys involved with running SAAC were making a good sum with no accountability to the man whose name was on their cars.
Well, from my personal experience with SAAC, there is more than 3 guys working hard on what makes SAAC what it is, and has become in the past 33 years. I suppose it's an arguable point, but Kopec and others have spent uncounted hours, days and years accumilating data and interviewing so many folks associated with Shelby from 1962-70. If they make money at it, then so be it. I can say that without their work, there would be no soul to the Shelby Heritage we all know and love. You can't put a price on the adoration that SAAC put on Carroll (for 33 years), of which he's been cashing in on for the past several years (you can't buy that kind of "branding"). When CS took off to Africa in the 70's, SAAC was preserving his legacy and heritage. On the other hand, I bet that the TeamShelby workers are on salary.
>That fact that they only recognized certain makes rather than accept all of Shelby's creations is what bothered Mr. Shelby the most. He shared his concerns with those in charge and they basically said it was their organization and they can do what they want.
I feel that that's a weak argument....It's hard to instantly justify here why they pick and choose certain Shelby marques. I just think that cars like the GT-40, Cobra, GT-500, etc., bring more vintage passion than a Dodge GL-H; and that that passion will prompt a registrar for each car (not an easy task), and the time and effort to do the research for those cars to the last detail. The cars that just have a Shelby nameplate just don't get people going like the sound of a 427 Cobra, or a 1967 Shelby Mustang. It sounds elitist, I know, but what SAAC has preserved is the heritage of the '62-70 period. They were "expected" to carry on the other, later versions by default, since no one else stepped forward to do so. For example, I have enough difficulty doing ONE Mustang registry. So, to do quite a few, and adding a GLH or late model Shelby to the mix would be an enormous undertaking for any club.
>Let me stress that after spending quality time with Amy Boylan and Gary Patterson who is Vice President of Operations for Shelby, I am convinced that they are doing the right thing.
From what I've been reading on the Shelby boards, I don't think that anyone has a problem with Amy. In fact, she's pretty brave to go on line, and talk about this. She does sound like a pretty level headed person.
>Mr. Shelby doesn't make a dime from all of this. Everything goes to his foundation for kids. His goal is to make the foundation totally self supportive before he passes on. I am proud to be a member of Team Shelby just like I am proud to be part of the GT/CS family.
First, Ford needed to let go of the SVT Club, and asked SAAC to take it over. SAAC said OK. SVT (as I understand it) didn't really want to keep that club going. The intent was to get that SVTOA Club to also include owners of the Saleens, Roush, etc., Mustangs to be part of a larger group. SAAC, as the vintage-Shelby club was being deluged with the late model Shelby owners to provide membership. My guess is that SAAC was overwhelmed, and couldn't do it, at least not right away, and it made them look like they didn't care.
What I can't understand, is why SAAC can't continue, under an agreed license, to do what they do with the '62 through Shelbys and Cobras and GT-40s, etc., and let the new club be devoted to the later models--post '70. Yanking the license from SAAC only creates a LOT of hard feelings with the enthusiasts. Besides--do you really think that anyone else could really work with the old records of the classic Shelbys? It takes special people that understand how to work with this information. I know--been there, done that. Like a lot of people over on those boards are saying--this is really all about big money--and something personal between CS and SAAC. Like an ugly divorce, the truth is out the window....
Personally, I'll stick with SAAC, and not join the other club. What other CS owners do, certainly, is up to them.
I would like to add that despite this big fiasco, we need to assure ourselves that we, as GT/CS owners are, and will remain to be a tight knit group here. That's what's important to me.
Paul N.