Topics

[August 2026]

August 2026

Last chance to join the Shelby American Collection at their Annual Car Show & Party this Saturday, August 30th from 2 pm - 7pm. Join Peter Brock and Allen Grant to celebrate the 1965 FIA World GT Manufacturers Championship.

https://www.shelbyamericancollection.org/events/29-anniversary

Quite an event! ...setting the tone for the NEXT 50 years.

There is much to report and we will try and post as much as possible. The scope and depth of this event is astounding.

Thanks to ALL who made this possible.

PLEASE send your pictures, stories, anecdotes to saac@saac.com

Send feedback, suggestions, etc, to pitcrew@saac.com

IN BOTH CASES, please indicate SAAC-50 in the Subject line.

[SAAC 50 Convention Guide (Rev2).]

A preliminary Schedule is available for download on the SAAC home page.

SAAC 50 Convention Guide (Rev2).

Use this link to access the Convention forms...

https://www.saac.com/50-forms

With sadness, we report that long-time SAAC member, Dirk Gasterland, has passed away.

Dirk served for many years as the Head Judge for Cobras at SAAC Concours. When the club reorganized in 2008, Dirk served as Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of SAAC.

Dirk was a good friend of the club, enjoyed his collection of vintage cars and will be missed in the community

You may see his Obituary here.

Jeff's Memorial Service will be held July 17th at Northlawn Cemetery in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio at 12:00 noon.

Seating is limited to 20 with standing room for approximately 80 additional attendees. I would assume most of the seating will be taken by family and close friends.

A Celebration of Life will take place later that day, but time and place has not been arranged yet.

We would love to see our members with Cobras, Shelbys or Panteras show up for the Celebration, if deemed appropriate. Contact  pitcrew@saac.com (Subject: Jeff) if you are available the afternoon of July 17th; we will keep you posted on details.

In lieu of flowers they encourage donations to your favorite charities or the Bailey House at University of Pennsylvania Medical Center Harrisburg PA;

https://www.upmcpinnaclefoundation.org/ways-to-give/give-online

Drop down menu selection under designation: "Bailey House home away from home for patient families"

This Bailey House hospital and facility provided excellent care for Jeff in his final days.

I will follow up with the celebration of life information when available.

Here's a very cool clip ,from CBS, covering this Ford collection.

It is with a heavy heart that we pass along this message...           
"Jeff Burgy passed on at 5:45 am this morning. His daughter Heather was by his side and stated Jeff was resting and in no pain, passing peacefully. I (Jeff's youngest brother) am here with Heather.

I know Jeff has loads of friends in SAAC and this will be the 1st annual meeting of SAAC he will miss. Please share with some of those who've been close to Jeff.

Scott Burgy"

Fresh from Detroit, the SAAC 2025 GT350 Sweepstakes car was unveiled and presented to an enthusiastic (but wet) crowd.



Gary Patterson, President of Shelby American, and Chuck Cantwell gave a thorough walkaround, highlighting the many performance features that this 810 hp brute contains.



The car was on display for the remainder of the weekend.



Visit our website for a chance to own this car...
https://www.tapkat.org/shelby-american-automobile-club/4E2Lj9?promo=FORUM

[Trophy Photo Blitz - Show us your Jewelry.]

Trophy Photo Blitz - Show us your Jewelry.

Have you garnered a nice looking trophy or award recently in any Car Show or Concours competition?
Take a picture or two and share the award with us.

We are looking for ideas for some memorable trophies at SAAC-50

Let's see the ones YOU think are the winners.

[The latest issue of The Shelby American, Spring 2025, is online in the Members Only website]

The latest issue of The Shelby American, Spring 2025, is online in the Members Only website

.. While we fill the Editor's Desk at SAAC HQ, and round out the staff for our  magazine, we wanted to keep the Quarterly Issue going.
Here is a Convention Retrospective from some of the best in years past.
Many folks may not have been members when these were written about originally, or when they were revisited.
Hell... we have members who weren't BORN when some of these great events were held.

Enjoy the stroll down memory lane.

... https://saac.wildapricot.org  ...take a look:

Please keep submitting your articles, tidbits of Americana and comments and ideas to : saac@saac.com

[How to contact the SAAC Registrars]

How to contact the SAAC Registrars

There was a  recent query about the contact e-mails for the individual Registrars

The "xxxRegistrar@saac.com" format is alive and working for the major models and should be the method of primary contact

They were tested for accuracy.

If you have trouble sending mail to any of these addresses, please contact pitcrew@saac.com

Cobra Registrar

Ned Scudder: cobraregistrar@saac.com

'65-'66 Shelby Registrar

Howard Pardee: 65registrar@saac.com

'67 Shelby Registrar

Dave Mathews: 67registrar@saac.com

'68 Shelby Registrar

Vincent Liska: 68registrar@saac.com

'69-'70 Shelby Registrar

Vincent Liska: 6970registrar@saac.com

GT40 Registrar

Greg Kolasa: hertz4rent@aol.com

Shelby Trans-Am Registrar

Gary Underwood: underwood33@ca.rr.com

New Ford GT Registrar

Jeff Burgy: cobrajeff@att.net

SHELBY AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE CLUB FOUNDING MEMBER RICK KOPEC STEPS AWAY AFTER 50 YEARS OF SERVICE

WALLINGFORD, CT – After 50 years of service to the Shelby American Automobile Club, SAAC today announced that founding father Rick Kopec has stepped down from his position effective immediately. Kopec has served as Director Emeritus since 2010 and Editor of SAAC's quarterly magazine "The Shelby American."

Kopec was one of the founders of SAAC in 1975. His contributions to the club are unmatched and helped pave the way for future generations of Shelby owners.  His interest in the history of Carroll Shelby's cars served as the foundation of the SAAC Registries, which have been published since 1982. The Registries, compiled and maintained by the SAAC Registrars, are the definitive history and authenticity of the cars of Shelby American. Rick has been a close friend to many in SAAC and while he will be missed, his countless contributions will never be forgotten.

"After 50 incredible years of unwavering dedication Rick served an integral role in defining the club" stated David Maffucci, SAAC board member. "Rick's enthusiasm for Shelby American cars and our club helped bring together thousands of those who share the same passion.", Maffucci concluded.

[Good news! SAAC 1965 Shelby Registry - 2nd Printing and back in stock]

Good news!  SAAC 1965 Shelby Registry - 2nd Printing and back in stock

The first of our individual Registries, 1965 Shelby, has been long sold out. This volume was a complete information manual for the 1965 year. ...

...224 pages with 416 pictures – most of them in color...

Also includes serial number information, accurate production figures, production changes, explanation of options with statistical breakdown, stripe dimensions, mechanical specifications and breakdown of dealer sales.

Although it is well short of our normal cycle for detailed owner updates, we felt the history and specifications would still be a valuable addition to any enthusiast's library.

So.. We have made a limited print run of this 2019 edition and expect them to be in stock this weekend.

Visit the SAAC Store to place your order now...

https://saac-stuff.myshopify.com/collections/saac-shelby-and-cobra-registries/products/1965-shelby-mustang-registry-preorder

[Call for Volunteers – SAAC-50]

Call for Volunteers – SAAC-50

It's that time again... to help make our National Convention a success....

You all know our conventions need a foundation of helpful volunteers who want to make it the best experience possible.
There are many areas that use our members to administer and organize...
...Taking tickets, checking credentials, helping setup and tear down, etc.

A few areas that always need help:
Paddock / Load-in Thursday Afternoon / Friday morning
Registration and Admission - All days
Logistics - setup and tear down
Thursday Activities : Road tour, Denbeste open house, Movie Night
Saturday SAAC Dinner Program
Parade Laps
Sunday Car Show
Paddock / Golf Carts / Swap Area

If you would like to help for a few hours (or more) to make the event run smoothly...
Send an email to pitcrew@saac.com  ...and note "SAAC-50 VOLUNTEER" in the subject line
Please include your cell number and any area of preference

Please note the days and times you are available and a feature preference, if necessary.

Thanks!

Ron
SAAC HQ

[SAAC Concours Document Library - 2025]

SAAC Concours Document Library - 2025

The following files are available for download; click on the image to download the file

Concours `Registration Guide - 2025

Concours Registration Form - 2025

Are these numbers sufficient to ID this transmission?

Sixty years ago, the Shelby GT350 changed performance forever.

Now, it's back, and more powerful than ever before. SAAC now offers an exclusive opportunity to win a limited-production tribute in the 2025 Shelby GT350.



The 2025 Shelby GT5350 makes a statement before it even hits the road. With 810 supercharged horsepower, it commands attention on the street and the track. Every single detail is engineered for peak performance.

The track-tuned suspension and front and rear sway bars keep it locked in through every turn. The short-throw shifter puts control in your hands, and 20-inch flow-forged alloy wheels wrapped in performance rubber make sure every shred of power grips the pavement.

CLICK HERE to enter our 2025 Sweepstakes...

https://www.tapkat.org/shelby-american-automobile-club/4E2Lj9?promo=FORUM

[SAAC-50 Sunday, August 24, 2025 Day-By-Day –]

SAAC-50 Sunday, August 24, 2025  Day-By-Day –

Sunday is the home stretch for this 50th celebration. It's another full day of track action and a car show that will leave you amazed. The track opens at 7:00am, in time for early laps.

Open Track – Sunday is a full day of track action. Participants are still divided into groups of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, but I bet we'll see some weekend speedsters graduate to a higher class.

Parade Laps – Once again, when the track goes "cold" at the Lunch hour, we will conduct a few sessions of Parade Laps.

Popular Vote Car Show – When the track gates open, we will see the Show Field slowly fill up to capacity. You'll see almost every example of Shelby vehicles... old and new... lined up for your viewing pleasure. These cars are competing for best in their class, as well as special awards for Appearance and Presentation. Special specimens will be selected by Celebrity and VIP Judges, for coveted and unique awards.
 
Heritage Racing – It's a little early for details, but we are working on a special race event for Sunday... one that will transport you back in time for sure.

We'll have a few paddock activities on Sunday to make it the perfect fun day to wrap up the 50th National Convention.
 

60th Anniversary of the G.T.350 at Willow Springs International Raceway.
February 14-15, 2025. Open Track on "Big" Willow for both days only $250.00, Saturday Car Show registration is $20.00.  Dinner banquet on Friday night, Feb. 14, 2025 with special Shelby American Employees. For more details and registration go to www.LAShelbyclub.com. Don't miss this Shelby event. All Ford powered vehicles welcome. There is a special Shelby only run group for owners who have minimal track experience.