Car Designer Shelby Has Heart Surgery

Carroll Shelby, designer of the muscle car that bears his name, is doing well after a heart transplant, a spokesman said.

“He’s doing fine, according to the hospital’s transplant coordinator,” the spokesman, Glenn Campbell, said Sunday.

He said Shelby hasn’t been able to get out of bed yet, but “the recovery is going along normally.”

Shelby, 67, received the heart during a four-hour operation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday night. No information on the donor was released.

Shelby is a three-time U.S. Sports Car driver of the year and designer of the Shelby Cobra. He also worked as a consultant for Chrysler Motors on the design of its new Viper sports car.

The popular Texan, whose chili recipes have become as famous as his race car designs and auto customizing, suffered from congestive heart failure. Shelby had heart surgery in 1973 and 1978.