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could keep track of the progress.
Bryant liked it because it put some
distance between him and Rager.
However, a lot of time was lost due to
Rager’s insistence that he be made
aware of every minute detail.
As work on the aluminum chassis
progressed, Shelby began whetting ap-
petites by feeding
Autoweek
informa-
tion about the car. Their September
23, 1996 edition carried a story report-
ing that the paperwork between
Shelby and Oldsmobile had been
signed the previous week. The engine
would be the 4.0 liter, 32-valve Olds
putting out 350 horsepower. The arti-
cle went on to describe both roadster
and coupe body styles, and that the
weight would be under 2,400 pounds.
Shelby’s oft-quoted $75,000 price was
also mentioned.
With
Oldsmobile’s
original
$1,000,000 commitment gone, Rager,
Davison and Olesen were left to
search for operating capital. Rock had
suggested involving one or more well-
heeled Oldsmobile dealers but that
idea never went anywhere. The next
avenue was suppliers. A unique busi-
ness plan was put together and Rager
was able to sell it to their vendors. In
a nutshell, the vendors would pay for
developing the parts and components.
Shelby would, in return, purchase the
parts directly from them, at a price
which would cover most of the devel-
opment costs. Parts suppliers were
guaranteed that the pieces they devel-
oped would be used (instead of merely
competing against other suppliers in a
bidding process). Shelby would bear no
initial development costs (which was
perfect because they didn’t have the
money). The vendors would begin to be
paid as deposits from buyers were re-
ceived.
The company was still short of op-
erating capital.When it could, it relied
on income from CSX4000 sales. One of
the biggest obstacles turned out to be
finding a supplier for the car’s interior
pieces. The interior was a complex
area with special demands. There
were safety requirements and specific
dimensions, such as the distance be-
tween the windshield and the driver’s
head. Attention to seatbelt and
padding placement was all part of the
equation. Peter Bryant began shop-
ping for a company that could provide
interiors but he did not encounter
much success. The expense involved in
creating something from scratch was
high, and because only 500 cars would
be built, there was no promise of vol-
ume to amortize costs.
Bryant struck pay dirt when he
called on Venture Industries in De-
troit. Venture was a major auto indus-
try supplier specializing in the
manufacture of plastic moldings. They
also had experience in building proto-
types as well as interiors. After some
consideration they agreed to provide
interiors for the Series 1. They were
also interested in producing entire
bodies for the cars as a way to show-
case their experience in carbon fiber
technology. Venture had deep pockets
and Shelby would soon be plumbing
the depths.
By October of 1997 two prototypes
existed. One had appeared at the De-
troit Auto Show earlier in the year and
was now dismantled. The second car
had been turned into a rolling labora-
tory in Gardena. It showed the effects
of testing, and before being put on dis-
play for a Shelby dealers’ meeting at
the IRL race at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, it was given new paint and
a general cosmetic once-over. Don
Rager, who had begun appearing in a
black cowboy hat, drove it around the
speedway prior to the start of the IRL
race, which was held at night. By this
time deposits had been received for
some 50 cars.
By the end of 1997 the design was
more or less finalized. The price was
set at $97,750 but dealers were told
that once production began the price
would likely go up. Everyone involved
with the project also realized that
there was no way the initial promise
of production beginning by the end of
the year could be met.
To help the dealers promote the
Shelby Series 1 prior to having any
cars to sell, a non-running mock-up
was made. It used a set of early body
panels mounted on a wooden platform.
From six feet away it was impossible
to tell it from a running car...of which
none existed because they had been
continually disassembled and re-
assembled for research and develop-
ment. The “pushmobile,” as it came to
be called at the factory, made the
rounds from dealer to dealer through-
The SHELBY AMERICAN
Fall 2016 40