Shelby to Ecurie Ecosse ?
During 1954 Carroll Shelby, later to become one of America’s greatest sports car drivers, came to Europe to look at the racing scene and perhaps fix up a few drives. He had only started racing the year before, 1953 with an MGTC later moving on to race various Ferraris and a Cadillac-Allard. In 1954 he was given a drive with Aston Martin in their DB3S and met David Murray at Silverstone that year. However, in May 1954 a letter arrived on David Murray’s desk from InterContinental Motors Inc of 2200 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas and Carroll Shelby.
In the letter Shelby explained he had just recovered from an accident in Mexico but then came to the point.
“ I spoke with you at Silverstone last July regarding driving for Ecurie Ecosse this year. I intend to be in Europe in June and I would very much like to drive a D type as I gained much respect for them at Sebring where I chased it for 12 Hours.( The was the D-type driven to victory by Mike Hawthorn and Phil Walters with Shelby and Phil Hill second in a Ferrari Monza.) I am prepared to pay my own travelling expenses and to be of what help I can on the cars. I shall sign off now hoping to hear from you soon. Please give my regards to Jimmy Stewart, Ninian and the team”
Nothing came of the enquiry as David Murray was having a difficult time at the beginning of 1955 having three of his D-type Jaguars crash due to what was suspected to be a problem with the disc brakes. However bearing in mind Carroll Shelby’s later International successes it would have been interesting to see him in an Ecosse car.