The Shelby American (Summer 2022)

any given time, although there are more in the collection that are either in storage or in the process of being re- stored. As you can imagine, having so many cars brings with them a huge assortment of spare parts and miscel- laneous items, not to mention col- lectibles like vintage signs, books and magazines. It’s more than merely a collection now. It has gradually grown into a full- fledged museum. However, it is not your usual, highly regimented and or- ganized group of cars sitting behind velvet ropes and stanchions to keep people back. One of the first things you notice is they don’t rope-off the cars. They are all parked side-by-side with only modest, two-foot high signs next to each car describing its history and importance. No admission is charged and the museum is open by appointment only. Although the cars have increased in value, some considerably, since being added to the collection, they have been acquired for reasons other than their investment potential. They reflect the desires and tastes of a man who simply loves cars. Auctions are a favorite place to find new additions and once purchased they are rarely sold. There are actually several themes running through the museum. There are the race cars, including a pair of 427 Cobras, a 289 and two GT350 R- models. Ford racing history is on dis- play, from the Trans-Am cars of the late 1960s to the more exotic tube- frame cars that raced in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and beyond. The hot rods include examples of famous dry lakes racers that set speed records at Muroc, El Mirage and Bonneville as well as hot rod roadsters and coupes that be- came famous after being featured on the covers of hot rod magazines of the 1950s and 1960s. The TV rods from Kookie of “77 Sunset Strip” and Ricky Nelson’s roadster from the “Ozzie and Harriet” show occupy special spots. Ross found his original ‘36 Ford which he had forgotten about, stored in a family barn. It was torn down and extensively modified to compete for the Detroit Autorama’s Don Ridler Memorial Award, the most prestigious prize in hot rodding. Ridler competi- tion began in 1964 and one car a year wins this trophy. Ross’ ‘36 Ford, “First Love” won the Ridler in 2007 and it oc- cupies a special place in the museum, parked on the second floor over a glass section so the custom suspension and undercarriage are visible through the ceiling from the floor below. The car is a work of art. We could fill this magazine with de- scriptions of other cars, including ‘32 Fords of every description, one of only two ‘57 Thunderbird “Battlebirds,” a Dusenberg, a couple of NASCAR Cup cars, a pair of top fuel dragsters, Gas Ronda’s ‘65 Mustang fastback A/FX 427 SOHC drag racer and the last of Mickey Thompson’s drag cars, a 1970 Mustang 429 blown and injected Shot- gun motor funny car. We would be re- miss if we didn’t mention the original hot rod art of Tom Fritz, Shelby Amer- ican cars from William Andresen and bronze sculptures from J. Paul Nesse and Stanley Wanlass. The 3 Dog Garage museum reflects the tastes of its owner and one thing worth mentioning is that the race cars are all prepared for competition and sit race-ready. They are not static show-pieces. They frequently partici- pate in vintage races where they “show the colors” as well as being dis- played at the more prestigious con- The SHELBY AMERICAN CSX3010 Summer 2022 35