Inside Shelby American: Wrenching and Racing with Carroll Shelby in the 1960s

Inside Shelby American is a firsthand account of the iconic sports car builder and racing team from John Morton, champion racer, and personal friend of Carroll Shelby.

In the late 1950s, a young John Morton was transfixed with sports car racing. By 1962, his dreams had led him to enrolling in the Shelby School of High Performance Driving. In a bold moment after the last class, Morton asked Carroll Shelby if he might come to work for the newly formed Shelby American. The answer was "Yes, here's a broom." Thus, ended Morton's college career and began his long racing career.

Inside Shelby American is his personal account of a company overflowing with talent, from designer Pete Brock, to fabricator extraordinaire Phil Remington, to drivers like Dan Gurney, Ken Miles, Bob Bondurant, and Phil Hill. Their rides are equally captivating: AC Cobra, Mustang GT350, Ford GT, Daytona Coupe.

More than just a historical account, Morton's story is intertwined with the memories of other Shelby staffers of the period, revealing through historic photography and an untold perspective the rousing story of America's most legendary racer and car builder.

Author: John Morton
Publisher: Motorbooks International
Published: 10/03/2017
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780760353615

About the Author

John Morton moved to California from Illinois in 1962 to enroll in Carroll Shelby's driving school at Riverside. After completion, with Peter Brock having been his instructor, John asked Shelby for a job on the racing team. He progressed from shop janitor to team driver in 1964, launching a career that spanned over forty years and joining the Shelby team at the most successful period in its history. In the early 1970s, John drove for Brock's BRE Datsun team, winning two National Championships and two 2.5 Trans-Am Championships. Career highlights include nine drives with two class wins at Le Mans and two GTP victories at Riverside, including the last sports car race at the facility in 1987 in a Group 44 Jaguar. Morton resides in El Segundo, CA.