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Shelby ends his relationship with SAAC

clubpro

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Feb 24, 2003
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665
I don't know how many of you are aware that Carroll Shelby has ended his relationship with SAAC. Attorneys are involved and SAAC is needless to say stunned and scrambling to change its logo and figure out what it is going to do. Shelby is asking for all of SAAC's records since 1996. Shelby and his company have started their own club and website teamshelby.com. It sounds like a real mess where nobody wins.

Ron
 

BroadwayBlue

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Apr 26, 2005
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Location
Hudson Valley Area, NY
If I'm reading the letter from the lawyers correctly, is it saying that "289" and 427 S/C" are trademarked?

If they did actually agree to turn these documents over as the letter says, I wonder how much leverage they will have.

Our local Mustang club is associated with the SAAC. This should be interesting.

Here are some other viewpoints... some for it some against it...

http://www.stangsunleashed.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13209&st=0

http://www.shelbyforums.com/forums/...ub-saac/7157-official-press-release-saac.html

http://www.shelbyforums.com/forums/shelby-american-automobile-club-saac/7003-shelby-saac-odds.html

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83483 *includes posts from Amy Boylan, Pres of Shelby
 
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clubpro

clubpro

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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? The 3 guys involved with running SAAC were making a good sum with no accountability to the man whose name was on their cars. 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.

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. 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.

Ron
 

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PNewitt

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>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.
 

case12

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Oct 8, 2004
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Location
Crystal Lake, IL
The world has changed in 30 years. What used to be fan clubs and get-togethers have now become social networks, web-sites, and big money. Just look at myspace, youtube or facebook. Billions of dollars spent to buy these little "social network" companies because they are big business.

The "old-school" newsletter, convention clubs that keep their information on index cards and Excel spreadsheets are a)getting a dose of high-tech slap in the face, b)can't use brands because they are worth money, c)may unfortunately get pushed aside.

The high-tech world is faster, easier, more responsive and makes a lot of money on these things - big hedge fund companies are backing them. "Old-school" clubs I am afraid are getting pushed aside by the younger "high-tech" folks who know how to make money off this stuff. The downside will be the loss of 'institutional knowledge' that the leaders of these past clubs have. They did it for love and passion mostly - not for money. The new 'high tech' clubs are in it for the MONEY first, but then also for the passion of creating bigger and better social networks that benefit us all.

So, good news is that new clubs like Team Shelby can and will be fun, fast, up to date, and high tech. Bad news is that we may start loosing that person in SAAC who really knows and has the experience with the actual cars that the 28 year old running the high tech venture could never know.

OUR challenge is to marry the two for GT/CS to stay current with the times. This site has done a great job - maybe there is more.

(I speak from experience being a leader in intellectual property licensing for the corporate world and dealing with social networking technologies at high tech companies, as well as being on the boards/advisory for "old school" and "start-up" communications and social networking companies). Casey
 
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Midnight Special

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Nov 5, 2005
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Grass Valley, California
...This is an excellent "read" about Shelby's past, present and Team Shelby's future! Ambitious and forward thinking... 'Found this at Raley's Market about a week ago and highly recommend...
 

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PNewitt

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I just wanted to point out that without SAAC, and my contacts there, there would not have been the research and information on the Shelby Automotive part in the development of the GT/CS.

SAAC put me in touch with Fred Goodell in 1988, and it was from that interview that I was able to learn so much about how this project came together. The Green Hornet would just be an unknown modified Mustang today without Fred (and my subsequent articles--leading to it's value of $2M).

We'll see how this "TeamShelby" club works out. There was once a Dodge Shelby club, and that somehow dissappeared. I'm not so sure if an instant new club will reflect the care and passion that SAAC has always had, and I don't expect it to carry over regarding the vintage Shelbys and Cobras.

Somehow, the process of this new club and who gets what, was was lost in the big money shuffle. For some reason, it was never said by Carroll: "Leave SAAC alone, let them do the vintage (1962-1970) Shelbys, and we'll take it from 1971--on with "TeamShelby"". Obviously, the heritage of Shelby's roots is something that the next generation can't do much without it on their own. I can't get excited about a new club that hasn't built it's own foundation and knowledge base, but "demands it" through a legal process.

Casey made a very good point about corporate domination of grass roots efforts--only when they see dollar signs. It makes it seem like there is no credit for hard work, nor for the labor of love for what is meaningful in this hobby.

Thanks to "eagle-eyed" Rich for finding the threads discussing this whole mess. Not much more to say here, but to wait and see how this shakes out. I, just personally have a bad taste in my mouth from the whole thing, and I don't buy into the hype of this new wave of Shelby-ism coming out, in light of how they stepped on SAAC.

Just my opinion.

Paul N.
 
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PNewitt

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Here's a great, brand new Shelby-Cobra forum, dedicated to SAAC:

http://saacforum.com/

On the topic of the legal action, one member suggested a boycott of Shelby items, and has cancelled the Cobra "stuff" he ordered for Xmas. He says: "The kids are crying"......and he's looking for a new name for his daughter "Shelby".

oh, the horror....it's gettin ugly out there.

LOL!

Paul N.
 

rvrtrash

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Apr 25, 2003
Messages
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I had to think long and hard on this one. My gut reaction was that Shelby was being an idiot and appeared greedy. The Shelby owners have done a lot to keep Shelby in the limelight and made him a bucket of money in the process. Then the thinking started. I used to have a home based business, with a business license, logo registered with the state, etc. About a year after I started, another individual started an indentical business, no lic., and used my logo and acronymn, but changed 2 of the 4 words in the name with words with the same first letter and meaning the same thing. I had to threaten a lawsuit to get him to stop. Bottom line, I've decided that whether it's a smart decision by Shelby or not, it's his name and he has a right to determine how it's used. That's just my opinion and probably worth less than the amount of time you spent reading it. :wink:

Steve
 
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PNewitt

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(Hi Steve!)

From a legal standpoint, you're right, and the time I read your post was time well spent! :p Hey!!

SAAC has/had a license from the Shelby Co. to use their logos, car names, etc...to promote the marque, and to just bolster CS's life's work. It was a "grandfathered" type of arrangement, and everyone was happy. SAAC promoted and preserved the Shelby heritage, even finding the most obscure details about cars and the men who built and raced them. They even have a "Shelby factory worker's group", supported by SAAC. This has been a very happy family for a long, long time, and the conventions were (are) awesome. Few clubs like that have open track for owners to run full out. Belonging to SAAC is a very proud thing to do.

What happened (in my opinion & observation) is that one or more of Carroll's business partners in the company suddenly saw BIG dollar signs at the 20,000 new Shelbys (Shelby GT, Hertz, GT-500, GT-500KR) being sold, and decided (in their infinite wisdom) to retake what SAAC had established, "divide and conquer" the Shelby world for themselves, and ONLY themselves. It's like a hostile takeover, and sure, it's their intellectual property to do so as they wish. It's just that SAAC has created and owns a lot of their own research and information that they compiled for all of those 33 years.

What has happened is like telling your brother that he can "have" your car for college. Then he restores your car, new engine, etc., and then after a few years you say: "hey, I want my car back now". Sure, it's your car, but, hey, it's your brother. This shouldn't be about the cold realities of the legal system, it's about a brotherhood of owners, and the whole world of what Carroll Shelby brought to us, and how SAAC rekindled, embraced and preserved that image.

As a result now, 5,000 members of SAAC are pissed off, and (I think) this will have nothing but a lot of bad blood between SAAC and CS. Some of these members are very affluent and influential, since they own half mil 427 Cobras, GT-40s, etc., and they could have a lot of influence. As we know, the divide between early and late model Mustangs & Shelbys will only deepen by having two clubs; which I think is totally silly.

There could always be improvement with any club, including SAAC, but you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. DUH!!

This makes about as much sense as Ford yanking MCA's license, saying that they didn't promote the Mustang II. So, this is ALL about money, and taking over, with lame excuses at why SAAC didn't do this or that, and the falsehoods about the money they make.

(just my opinion)

Paul N.
 

Midnight Special

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...In this case; SAAC did such an outstanding job preserving, promoting, maintaining "Shelby" and in keeping the passion alive, was no doubt a major influence in Shelby's return to supercars. Now comes the new 500hp cars, the appeal and hype, new technology and ideas, followed by (I'm sure) high-$$ advice to Shelby to gather all of his marbles....

Let's just hope there remains as passionate a lobby for the older cars (beyond the Barret-Jackson types) to find a place in Team Shelby to remain beneficial to the entire heritage.

I understand the hype - the new cars are beautiful! But I hope they don't forget where they came from...
 

robert campbell

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Apr 10, 2007
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I am with Steve in I had to really absorb this. I owned a 68 Shelby GT 500 KR in the mid 70’s. Wished I had it back….

Another example of dollars driving our hobby. What a shame. SAAC and its owners are like Paul and this site, the ONLY reason that Ford and Carroll are able to profit from the legacy of these cars. As said earlier, SAAC is the corporate knowledge on these cars! Team Shelby will never be able to match the depth and detail retained in the SAAC membership. Team Shelby’s only hope is they will join. That may be a tougher sell than a new Corvette to a GT-40 owner….

To bad corporate greed can squeeze out the small guy, but it is his name as Steve points out. Isn’t SAAC responsible for a major percentage of the dollars Carroll was able to donate over the years? Of course they were. Did they not give him an annual event to rake in the bucks?? Yes they did. You would think he would have done better in this take over….. Yes, he should have!!

The only way to preserve the old heritage is to boycott Team Shelby. To not join this “club”. To continue under another name. FPCA!! Ford Performance Cars of America might work. Share nothing. Let Team Shelby attract the new cars! Offer the new cars a spot in their registry. Many of the new Shelby’s are owned by old or current Shelby owners!

What is next? Does this site lose the ability to call itself “California Special”? Will “Arnold” “terminate” our existence?? I hope not….

Rob
 

Doug

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Apr 23, 2007
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Valencia, California
Where were all these "Shelby" people and lawyers 25 years ago when the worth very little and not everybody wanted one of these car? In my opinion it is all about the money and nothing else. A great thing about all this maybe the older Shelby’s will come done in value and allow the people who really like these cars another chance to own one. Again just my opinion.
 

Midnight Special

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Grass Valley, California
...I disagree with boycotting Team Shelby. These often risky reactions get quickly labeled as "sour grapes" and if pushed too far in media or magazines, kill the value and reputation of all, ultimately giving Chevy or Mopar the edge in the future.

Now granted; I've never been a SAAC, TS, or member of any car club, but IMO we should swallow hard and hold our heads high in this case. Even if SAAC prevails, it will likely progress little without the Shelby endorsement.

Lobby and promote hard for a classics division in the new club rather than divide the classics from new. IMO...
 
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clubpro

clubpro

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Feb 24, 2003
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Amy Boylan's comments on the situation

I read this on another site and thought that this might enlighten everyone on this situation.



"I don't understand why threads always degrade into snide remarks, nasty comments, why can't it just be discussions?

The new club although it doesn't look like it yet, as it officially launches on Carroll's birthday will have a full vintage section. We want input and we don't profess to have all the answers either. I hope to build it to where it is what it needs to be for all.

So, Here is the only "why" I can give you, the why will come from Carroll directly as well this week. I didn't think the why was important because I don't do "he said /she said"

I explained to him tonight some of the backlash and he will make a statement. He has felt for along time that he is not part of SAAC he has told me he talked to Ken and Rick and had given input to events and other things over the years and he felt ignored. These are his words to me, not mine, please do not accuse me of anything other then what I am posting... He said that he as Shelby wants a site that has instant information for all users and owners, a site where he can exchange info with the members, a site that he can ask for feedback immediately and have a dialogue, again his original idea. I told him about the club and shows I did before. We discussed building this club when the company was better able to handle it. That time is now.

I also have tried to talk to Ken 2 years ago at SAAC about the relationship with Carroll and SAAC and Ken was adamant in his anger at Carroll. This seems personal to both and maybe rightfully so for both. I warned him and Rick at the dinner back then that this would reach a head. Nothing ever happened between the 3 to change the outcome.

I don't presume to know how to make it all happen, but I do know that the strength of SAAC is in its members not just in its club owners. That is what we are trying to do. We have heard good and we have heard bad, Carroll specifically wanted to run his club where his thoughts mattered. I am not judging anyone, I think the registry for its information is amazing, but maybe there is more needed.

Again, my apologies if I sounded arrogant, it was not my intent, this is a big under taking, it is a huge responsibility and it’s a huge expense, believe me I really want this to succeed. I was trying to be careful, I was trying to be politically correct, and maybe that was wrong.”


Amy
President Shelby Autos
 
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clubpro

clubpro

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Rick Kopec and SAAC's position on Team Shelby

Ok, sports fans - I've read several postings on various forums from SAAC members who are obviously supporters of the club. They seem to see the appearance of another Shelby club as a threat to SAAC and I think this is an over reaction. Here's our position. For the past 30 years or so there has only been one national Shelby club. There is a very good reason for this. It's because organizing and running a national club is a lot of hard work and if there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow we haven't found it yet. If doing this was easy and lucrative, there would be a dozen other national Shelby clubs.

We welcome the appearance of another club. Some SAAC members have been unhappy about some things that we do, don't do, or don't do often enough. But they didn't have much of a choice other than hanging in there or dropping out. Now they have a third option. They can join Team Shelby and see how it compares with SAAC. It Team Shelby does a better job, they would be crazy to stay with SAAC. But if it's apparent that SAAC does a better job, they'll know it. But it's not an either/or thing. It is possible to be a member of both clubs simultaneously. If one club is head and shoulders better than the other, the other one won't be around that long.

Everyone is welcome in both clubs. Right now, Team Shelby's primary focus is on the newest generation of cars but if they stick around for a while they may attract the owners of some older cars. Likewise, SAAC's primary focus is on the original cars. But the longer these newer cars are on the scene, the more their owners will gravitate towards SAAC. Car Clubs survive because they give their members what they want. It's pretty simple. Nobody will stay very long with a club that doesn't. Tearing down another club will not make SAAC stronger or better. The way we make it better is by hard work and attention to small details. We can do this nationally. You can roll up your sleeves and do it locally in the region nearest you. If we have a better club we all win.
 
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