Exclusive interview with Cleo Shelby
This, you are about to read, it’s the first exclusive interview that Cleo Shelby, last wife of the great Carroll, issued an European magazine.
Everyone says that behind a great man there is a great woman.
I ever imagine that, when I think about the wives, girlfriends and lovers of all that great figures of history; women with a strong personality but sweeter than sugar, able to follow all the crazy ideas of their men, by supporting, motivating and, sometimes, bear them also when the game becomes hard.
My fantasies were not so far from reality.
Carroll Shelby has always been a mythological figure to me; he embodied the dream of the real American, the self-made man, a fighter, a worker who reach his dreams. People wrote everything and the opposite of everything about him. I do not deny that I would like to write something about him too, but from a different point of view: the one of his wife, Cleo Shelby.
I won’t say when she was born, the age of a Lady has never to be asked; but I will tell you where: London. Convent educated, Cleo Rendell-Roberts got married really young. Her first husband didn’t want that she works, so she started to move her first steps in the fashion field. It permitted her to become independent and gave her the opportunity to dedicate her time to her passions: fashion and cars! The love of cars the infected her since childhood. Over the years it grew more and more. Her first was a Mini Cooper S, MGB, then Mercedes has always been my everyday driver. Also I had three Jensen Interceptors as well and many Rolls Royces,Ferrari’s, 2 Lamborghini’s Range Rover, Jaguar’s,Aston Martin’s and many, many more!
Carroll appeared in his life during a gala dinner in London , an evening of the 70’s … But let’s go with order : leave her tell us everything!
FS: Good morning Cleo, thank you for your time!
CS: Good morning Fabrizio, Good morning to all the Mustangmania followers and funs.
FS: Please tell us how did you meet Carrol?
CS: He met me… It was 1970.
We were in BERKELEY SQUARE. A Rolls Royce came out, right-hand drive; it stopped in front of a red carpet. A woman with dark hair and a scarlett ballgown got out; she was really upset because the jewels which she had to wear during that gala night were not arrived yet. Carroll saw that scene, and he said: “I must meet that girl”. We met again for few times during the years after. I thought that these were only casual meetings in art galleries and parties…Carroll said to me, only many years later, that he attended these events because I was there. Many years later during an event he came he said ‘I am going to marry you!. I reply that was impossible because I was already married, and he said “I can wait”. It was true. 27 years later we got married.
FS: How an amazing story! Did he do the first step?
CS: Absolutely yes, ladies do not approach men!
FS: And after? What happened?
CS: The first time in which he asked me to marry him was during the 70’s. And he asked it me again and again during the years after. But I always answer no to him until 1997.
FS: I only can imagine the bachelorette and bachelor parties!
CS: Sorry, no parties. I discovered that we will get married only the day before! We got married on the 3rd September 1997. We have been married for 15 years (till Carroll death, in 2012 ndr)
FS: Let’s talk about the man behind the legend. The Texan stereotype is man really good at grilling. How was Carroll?
CS: A perfect Texan grilling man, but also a good chef. He loves cooking and invent new recipes.
FS: which was Carroll favorite drink?
CS: During summer, when it was really hot, ‘Shiners’beer or Rum and diet Coke.
FS: What about bad habits..
CS: Carroll hates housekeeping, but above all he hates DIY works. The few times in which he did something were a mess!
FS: Which was Carroll worst fault?
CS: His worst fault ‘trusting’ the wrong people.
FS: Let’s talk about the professional Carroll Shelby : how he was on business? Did he work a lot?
CS: He was really creative he loves his job and he works a lot also until late in the evening. Sometimes he went to the office. And when we were not at home we were travelling around to attend events, meetings and racings…
FS: How was the relation between Carroll and his employees?
CS: They adore him, unless during the last period he was not too much in the office…
FS: Has he always been on time? Was he a perfectionist?
CS: Carroll was never in late. Yes he was a perfectionist: he took a lot of care of his “creatures”
FS: Cleo, until today we never seen a photo in which Carroll was angry. Why?
CS: Carroll hardly got angry. When he got angry it was ‘painful’ !
FS: Which was Carroll last project?
CS: He was working on many projects. The most important was with Ford, to let the name Shelby to be continued.
FS: Which were his everyday cars?
CS: A black Range Rover Sport Supercharged, and a Ford Fusion.
FS: Which is the car to which Carroll Shelby more related to?
CS: Without any doubts the original Cobra 289.
FS: Which is your role today?
CS: I promote the brand, travelling a lot and attending meetings, events and racings. I love travel and meet new people. I am the sole income beneficiary of the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust. I also control the Texas Ranches, that produce the organic Shelby Wagu/Kobe beef.
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