The Cobra Experience will celebrate the Carroll Shelby Centennial by presenting its Global Icon Award to McKeel Hagerty and offering young people the opportunity to learn how to drive a manual transmission car on February 11, 2023.
MARTINEZ, Calif. – The Cobra Experience will celebrate the Carroll Shelby Centennial by presenting its Global Icon Award to McKeel Hagerty and offering young people the opportunity to learn how to drive a manual transmission car on February 11, 2023, in Martinez, Calif. Sponsored by Team Shelby, the celebration will also include a book signing by Colin Comer and a discussion by industry luminaries about inspiring the next generation of automotive fans.
“Carroll Shelby was a major driving force in motorsports and the auto industry, so we’re honoring the 100th anniversary of his birth with a day filled with the passions he pursued,” said Emily Lambert, Managing Director of The Cobra Experience and a Team Shelby Director. “We’re collaborating with Hagerty to present a Youth Driving Experience that offers young people the thrill of driving a manual transmission vehicle. We’ll then present McKeel Hagerty with the Global Icon Award in recognition of his many contributions to the joys of motoring. A panel of enthusiasts will discuss how to share with the younger generation the adventures that can only be found at full throttle.”
The Cobra Experience chose the celebration date carefully. It will take place on the weekend nearest the 1965 Valentine’s Day victory by Shelby American. That Texas race was the first for the new competition version of the Shelby GT350 and was won by the immortal Ken Miles.
The day will begin with the Hagerty Youth Driving Experience, a national program that puts young people behind the wheel of cool classic cars so they can learn to start, operate and drive a manual transmission. Instructors, including Carroll Shelby International Executive Vice President Tracey Smith, racecar driver and author Colin Comer, 22-year-old drag racing phenom Kaylee Crayton, Bay Area local racecar driver Tommy McCarthy, and Ford Motor Company Retail Channel and US Parts Sales Manager Raquel Tapia, will share lessons in the museum parking lot.
That evening, the public is invited to join the Cobra Experience to honor McKeel Hagerty, CEO and driving force behind Hagerty, with the Global Icon Award.
McKeel is a lifelong fan of great cars and roads. At 13 years old, he and his father restored a 1967 Porsche 911S. McKeel still owns the 911S and it’s the first car he drives in the spring.
Among his many recent motoring adventures, McKeel has driven his Porsche to the top of Pike’s Peak, a 1903 Knox in the famed London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, a McLaren 600LT through Tennessee’s treacherous Tail of the Dragon, along with many other tours and rallies. He also served for decades as a judge at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where he continues to serve in an honorary capacity. He recently purchased an original 1964 289 Shelby Cobra, which will be displayed at the museum.
“As a young man, Carroll Shelby was one of my role models,” said McKeel Hagerty. “Shelby was a renaissance man with diverse interests ranging from cars, racing and aviation to farming, science, alternative powerplants and more. His leadership earned America its first international sports car world championship and toppled Ferrari at Le Mans. Best of all, he nurtured young people and gave everyone opportunities to succeed.”
Under McKeel’s leadership, Hagerty has become an automotive enthusiast brand offering integrated membership products and programs and a specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market. Based in Michigan, Hagerty Inc. joined the New York Stock Exchange as a publicly traded company under the ticker symbol HGTY in 2021.
“When we contacted McKeel about the award, he seized the moment to pursue his goal of preserving car culture for future generations,” said Lambert. “He encouraged us to offer the Youth Driving Experience during the day and include a discussion about attracting young people into the hobby. Maybe McKeel will inspire the next Ken Miles, Mary Davis or Phil Remington as he channels his inner ‘Carrol Shelby’ at the Cobra Experience.”
The evening celebrations will include other special guests including noted automotive author Colin Comer, owner of Colin’s Classic Automobiles. He will serve on the panel after signing his new book; Shelby American 60 Years of High Performance. The books are available at a discount to those who purchase a ticket to the event.
The evening’s events will begin at 5:30 PM. A very limited number of tickets are available at cobraexperience.org with proceeds benefitting The Cobra Experience, a non-profit museum committed to promoting, conserving, educating and preserving the cars produced by Shelby American. The event will take place at The Cobra Experience, 777 Arnold Drive, Martinez, California.
About The Cobra Experience
The Cobra Experience is a 25,000-square-foot museum in Martinez, California, showcasing original Cobra’s, Shelby Mustangs, Daytona Coupe, GT40, King Cobra, Sunbeam Tigers and a Lotus; the museum has anywhere from 25-30 cars on display. There are engine and wheel displays, posters, photos and a shop scene as it was at Shelby American in the 1960s. Unique to the museum is a 40-seat surround sound theater featuring an HD film about the cars and the Ford and Shelby American story. To learn more about The Cobra Experience, email info@cobraexperience.org or call (925) 558-5585.
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