Former headquarters of auto legend Carroll Shelby for sale
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An iconic piece of Southern California car culture is up for sale.
The former Marina del Rey headquarters of automotive legend Carroll Shelby is on the market for $4.7 million. The red brick shop at 1042 Princeton Drive is known in Shelby lore as being in Venice but later became part of Marina del Rey.
In March 1962, the 10,860-square-foot structure became the birthplace for Shelby’s fledgling car company, Shelby American Inc. That year, Shelby, a retired race car driver, took a lightweight two-seat roadster and married it with a powerful V-8 Ford Motor Co. engine.
The first Cobra sports car was born.
In the mid-1960s, Ford hired Shelby to pump up the performance of its Mustangs. Before he got his hands on the car, Shelby called the Mustang a “secretary’s car.” By 1966, Shelby Mustangs were winning on racetracks and drag strips across the country.
To keep up with production, Shelby later moved his company to a larger facility near Los Angeles International Airport. Shelby died in May at age 89.
For more on the Marina del Rey property, check out commercial real estate company Lee & Associates’ website.
Shelby American now makes the cult classic GT350 and GT500 Cobras in Las Vegas. The GT500, nicknamed Super Snake, kicks out 662 horsepower, making it the most powerful production V-8 in the world.
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