Shelby American, a division of Carroll Shelby International, Inc. (CSBI.PK), is the premier independent performance car company in the United States. Committed to delivering cars and products that provide an unparalleled driving experience, the company has been at the forefront of automotive innovation since it was established in 1962.

The company was founded by Carroll Shelby, one of America's greatest race car drivers. He dominated sports car racing success in the mid-1950s, twice being named Sports Illustrated's "Driver of the Year". His crowning achievement as a driver came in 1959, when he won the 24 Hours of LeMans.

Ford Motor Company asked Carroll Shelby and his team to consult on the Ford GT in 2004. Two years later, Shelby and Ford formed a new relationship to once again build high performance vehicles. That program accelerated in 2005 when Carroll help reenergize the company with a new series of high performance vehicles built in cooperation with Ford Motor Company. Working with the Ford Racing, Ford SVT and the Ford new car branding team, the relationship resulted in a string of cars that returned Shelby vehicles to the top of enthusiast wish lists worldwide.

Forty years after their pioneering effort in 1966, Shelby, Ford Motor Company and The Hertz Corporation once again joined forces to build the ultimate weekend getaway vehicle, the Shelby GT-H (H for "Hertz"). Based on the Ford Mustang, the Shelby GT-H was instantly recognizable with its deep black exterior set off with gold Le Mans racing stripes. This steed was fitted with a custom Shelby Performance hood with pins and a brushed aluminum grille with running horse emblem. And with the help of Ford Racing and a 325HP 4.6-liter 3V V-8 engine, this machine was pure American muscle.

A total of 500 coupes were built for rental through select Hertz locations in the United States during 2006 and 2007. The next year, an agreement was announced to build 500 convertible Shelby GT-H rental cars.

The strong demand of the GT-H, from over 3,000 dealers and thousands of enthusiasts nationwide, led to the birth of the Shelby GT. Powered by Shelby and Ford Racing Performance Parts, the Ford Shelby GT boasted out-of-this-world handling, stick-to-the ground cornering and dust-the-competition acceleration. The pony car was equally at home on the track, a daily commute or out on the town. Each limited edition convertible and coupe has a serial number that is recorded in an official Shelby factory registry. Unlike the GT-H, both manual and automatic transmissions were available in the Shelby GT.