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tor gene.” It is something inside their
psyche that compels them to seek an
ever increasing number of items for
their collection. The hunt becomes
more enjoyable than the kill, and find-
ing something only increases the de-
sire to find the next thing they don’t
have. Each piece collected is usually
included in some kind of display, much
like big game hunters mount heads of
wild animals they shoot on the walls
of their den or study.
In the beginning, items of interest
seem to be everywhere, but as a collec-
tion grows, the “finds” become fewer
and farther between. A sense of dimin-
ishing returns is experienced. New
discoveries are exciting only because
they are new – not because they are
necessarily more important or more
valuable than any others. The thrill of
the new find is only temporary; it
wears off quickly. The next find be-
comes the most important thing.
There is also the potential for a
collector to fan out. When you’re col-
lecting 1966 Shelby stuff and you’ve
reached the point where your progress
can best be described as flat, you ex-
pand your horizon to include 1965
Shelbys. And then you experience a re-
peat of the original collector bell-
shaped curve – which will eventually
end in the same diminishing number
of new finds. Fortunately, you can fan
out in every direction: 1967, 1968,
1969-70, Cobra 289, Cobra 427, GT40,
Tiger, Pantera, Boss Mustangs, Hi-Po
Mustangs and just regular Mustangs.
The SHELBY AMERICAN
Winter 2016 60
One of the centerpieces of Atzbach’s car collection is 5R002, so you would expect him to
have a special interest in gathering up things that relate to that specific car. The driving
goggles were Chuck Cantwell’s; they were the same type worn by Ken Miles. Likewise,
the air chisel originally used to modify the car’s rear fenders [
lower right
] would also
have special value. The trophies in the upper left were won by Russell Fish, who raced
the car before it went south of the border.
As the GT350 Project Engineer, Chuck Cantwell played a major role in 5R002, even
driving the car in competition a few times. Cantwell managed to hold onto a lot of the
things he picked up at Shelby American. He always resisted letting them go to collectors
who approached him, caught between the desire to retain some of the tangible aspects
of his past and feeling that when the time was right he would know where they should
go. With 5R002, it was something that just felt right, and who could argue? His original
Shelby American employee badge is among the items in the “Cantwell section” of the
display. The four aluminum VIN plates in the center are prototypes which never saw
production. At one point red and black backgrounds were considered for the 1967 plate
but were rejected in favor of the aluminum finish. The red shirt at the bottom was from
when Cantwell went to work for Roger Penske’s Trans-Am team after leaving Shelby
American in 1968. Donohue was driving a Z-28. Then they went to Javelins.