Former headquarters of auto legend Carroll Shelby for sale
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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