Page 63 - Experience_Magazine_Winter2022_Barrett-Jackson

It’s easy now, 60 years after Carroll Shelby founded the Reventlow Automobiles, to build his Chevrolet-powered
sports car company bearing his name, to believe that Scarab race cars. These were all-American sports cars and
success was a sure thing. After all, Shelby’s creations formula cars designed to go head-to-head with Europe’s
went on to become some of the most collectible cars best. At the tail end of his racing career Carroll Shelby
ever built, and you can still order a variety of new Shelby drove a Scarab to victory in a 1960 USAC Road Racing
vehicles to this day. Championship race at Continental Divide Raceways
But success was anything but guaranteed. Starting a car in Colorado, leading flag-to-flag and setting a course
company is a risky business, then or now. Fortunately, record. So when Shelby launched his own sports car
Shelby was helped early on by friends and supporters, company, Reventlow was among the first in line to place
such as Lance Reventlow. A former racing driver and an order. The Cobra featured here was invoiced to Lance
founder of his own race car construction company, Reventlow on January 2, 1963.
Reventlow was one of Shelby’s first customers, But Reventlow plays an even bigger role in early Shelby
purchasing a Shelby Cobra in the earliest days of the history than simply buying a car. Reventlow shut down
company. That 1962 Cobra, CSX 2032 (Lot #1382) will his own racing construction business in 1962 and leased
be offered with No Reserve at the 2022 Barrett-Jackson his California shop and manufacturing facility to Shelby.
Scottsdale Auction at WestWorld January 22-30. In addition, Reventlow had employed Phil Remington as
chief engineer as well as Ken Miles, two more names that
Lance Reventlow and Carroll Shelby had followed
similar professional paths with differing results. As would later become deeply relevant to Shelby’s success.
drivers, the two had been trackside buddies, and it was In Carroll Shelby’s 1965 autobiography “The Carroll
Reventlow who first established his own car company, Shelby Story,” he recalled the opportunity Reventlow

VISIT BARRETT-JACKSON.COM FOR THE COMPLETE DOCKET 63