Carroll Shelby - The Only Man to Win at Le Mans as a Driver, Builder and Team Owner!

Michael and I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Carroll Shelby twice. The first time was back in 1992  when we took a road trip to Watkins Glen in New York State for the SAAC Show. You had to stand in line at 5:00 am to purchase a poster. That got you the privilege of standing in line again for a couple of hours in order to meet the legend. Was it worth it? Oh yeah! We both had our photos taken with him, and I had him sign one of the original black and white magazine ads. That brought a smile to his face. "I haven't seen one of these in a long time," said Shelby. We still have the ad.

The second time was more recently at the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame event in 2010 honoring Shelby. This time, with an entourage of people around him, it was just a quick hello and congratulations.

Shelby on stage at Motorsports Hall of Fame, Toronto.

As an automotive enthusiast, you cannot NOT know who Carroll Shelby was. But, you may not be aware of just what some of his incredible accomplishments were. One of them being his place in history as the only person to ever have crossed the finish line in first place at the famous Le Mans course in France as a driver, builder and team owner.

With driving in his blood, and already well recognized the world over, the chicken farmer from Texas joined the Aston Martin team in 1954. In 1959, Shelby, along with co-driver Ray Salvadori, took first at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Winners Ray Salvadori, Carroll Shelby and David Brown

In 1964, the Cobras and the team at Shelby America were victorious at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, coming in first. The Cobra placed fourth overall and first in the GT class ... beating Ferrari! In subsequent years, the team would win at Le Mans again and again. 

"My proudest moments are beating Ferrari for the World Championship in 1965, and working with Ford to win Le Mans in 1966 and 1967." - Carroll Shelby

1964 Le Mans pits.
Waiting for the #5 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe.

And Shelby didn't stop there. Developing a driving school, marketing a chili mix and designing cars, Carroll Shelby's life seems to have been about pushing hard and winning, whatever the challenge. It was Shelby's incredible journey and resulting success in the world of international racing, that was one of the inspirations for Michael's Ford Racing painting, "The Competition Has Arrived".

Michael wanted to create a piece that paid tribute to the cars that over several years, would take Europe by storm. The resulting painting captures the electricity in the air, as both the Porsche and Ferrari team members look on in amazement as the new American competitors are being unloaded.

"The Competition Has Arrived" by artist Michael Irvine

"I decided to take the creative route and concentrate on the excitement and awe that must have been felt by everyone present when the Shelby team landed in Europe. I wish I could have been there!"- Michael Irvine

From the response of collectors and enthusiasts around the globe, I'd say Michael succeeded! — Linda

Displaying Your Passion with Automotive Fine Art

dec·o·rate (verb)

make (something) look more attractive by adding extra items or images to it. synonyms: ornament, adorn, trim, embellish, garnish, furnish, enhance, grace, prettify;

"Battle on the High Bank"

Decorating is enhancing the space you live or work in. The decor should not only be functional to suit the purpose of the space (ie: living room, foyer, shop, man cave, office, bedroom, kitchen, dining room, boardroom) but also be a reflection of you, your personality, color preferences and likes. You should feel comfortable in the room and be proud of the decor.

With the amount of time many of us spend in an office or a kitchen, or relaxing in a living room, family room or den, art, along with the paint scheme and furniture choices, plays a huge role in how we feel about the space. The art you choose to adorn your walls should represent the things you are passionate about and take joy in. For people like us, that's cars.

Classic cars, the hobby, the whole culture have been a big part of our lives, even before Michael focused his talents with a paint brush on the automobile. Back in the early '90s, when good classic car art that appealed to us was hard to find, we hung a few of Michael's early originals.

Now, don't get me wrong ... there are no show posters, or dealer posters, or digital car renderings on my walls. What we do hang are a lot fine automotive art pieces. Predominantly Michael's of course, but there are a few others hung as well. We have an eclectic collection of originals, framed Limited Edition Prints and Gallery Edition Canvases. With color playing a dominant part in our decision making, the pieces and their framing dictate where in our home they'll be hung. We literally have automotive art hung in nearly every room of the house, including a formal dining room, traditional living room, and small powder room!

As you've probably guessed, I'm a bit of a car girl. And you may be telling yourself that's why we have so much car related art in our home. But if you're thinking that only women with a  fondness for the automobile would decorate with automotive fine art, think again!

One of our client's wives (self proclaimed non-car lover) was persuading her husband to purchase C1, See Them All in the large canvas. Needless to say, our client was a bit baffled ... his wife had never before shown any interest in "car art". Her reaction? "This isn't just car art, it's a fine art painting that just happens to be featuring classic cars. I mean look at it, with all that color, what's the difference between this and a floral or a landscape except the shape of the subject matter." Nicely said!

We agree wholeheartedly. Art doesn't have to be a floral, landscape or abstract. It can be more than just something you hang on the wall to match your couch. Art can truly represent your passion, bring you joy and give you a sense of pride while you share it with others!

With Michael's automotive fine art we get the best of both worlds; we get to enjoy beautiful works of art that are alive with color and creative imagery, while also allowing us to be surrounded by pieces that reflect our lives and passions.

"Thoroughbreds" and "Big Blocks Behind The Barn"

"Dry Lake Snakes"

We've recently had a number of clients email us or post photos on our Facebook page of their "Michael Irvine Automotive Fine Art decor." I'll be posting them in the near future. Thank you for including Michael's work in your lives. — Linda

Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance

This year marked another first, the inaugural Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance held at the Cobble Beach Resort Community just outside Owen Sound, Ontario.

It was an amazing setting for, what looks to become, an outstanding event. This year there were just over 100 cars on display — a wonderful cross section of turn on the century classics, European sport cars and American muscle.  A picture tells a thousand words ... here's just a sample ... take a look for yourself.

Muscle Cars in Home Decor

Man cave, manland, mantuary, rec room or den, whatever it's labelled, the "male sanctuary" has become a pretty dominant space in the home. Although it seems many of these have been sports themed in the past, the car guys are making these rooms their own.

Here's a great shot supplied by one of our clients out east. He was fortunate to acquire a Shelby Mustang signed and numbered limited edition pool table before Carroll Shelby's passing in May of last year. Although numbered out of 100, only 50 tables were produced, numbered and signed by the man himself.

Shelby Mustang Pool Table and "Pure As The Driven Snow"
Numbers Matching set!

Here's the really cool part, the table and Gallery Edition Canvas of Michael's Pure As The Driven Snow, are a "numbers matching" set. Both are #46. The table #46/100 (but only 50 actually built) and the Canvas #46/50 — any car guy (or gal) can appreciate that!!

Thanks to Duane and his family for adding Michael's work to their incredible collection and for allowing us to share a part of it with you. Love that bar set, by the way!

If you have a photo you'd like to share with us and our clientele, we'd love to see. I am always amazed to see just how creative people can be. And it gives Michael a boost to see his work hanging in so many homes, offices and garages ... so keep those pics coming!! In the mean time, check out our Facebook page to see what others have posted. — Linda

MuscleCarArt on Instagram!

This past weekend we were at Tim & Brenda's 3rd Annual Car Show in King City. The weather was perfect. The cars were amazing. The money raised was incredible : $94M in one day!

Tim has these stickers he's asked people to post, well, anywhere! Turns out, they are promoting their Instagrams, something I knew nothing about. It's pretty wild just how many social media and photo sharing vehicles (pardon the pun) are at our finger tips these days.

I checked out Tim's Instagram (@vipeme) and thought, why not ... it could be fun to share some of the pics from the car shows and auctions we attend. When you have a chance, check out @MuscleCarArt ... I've shared 10 photos so far, and working on more!!

Here's a quick sample of what I've posted so far — a few from Tim & Brenda's, one from Moncton, NB and one of Michael's latest Custom Remarques! - Thanks for following, Linda

Mystic Mustang | Camaro | Shelby Art

Kennedy Picture Framing in St. Catharines stretches our Gallery Edition Canvases, which are shipped stretched and ready to hang anywhere in North America — with FREE shipping through FedEx Ground.

Dave and Sarah do an amazing job for us. They have a couple of Michael's pieces hanging in their gallery, located at the corner of Lake and Carlton ... niiiice. LOVE that red wall.  It looks so good that Sarah says we should give a can of the paint with every Blast By The Past Gallery Edition Canvas!

"Pure As The Driven Snow" by Michael Irvine. Gallery Edition of 50.

Top: "Blast By The Past"     |     Below: From "Showroom to Showfield"
by Michael Irvine. Gallery Edition of 50.

If you're in Niagara, the St. Catharines Downtown Association is hosting the Annual Downtown Car Show on July 6th. Weather permitting, we'll be set up next to the registration tent. It's our first year and it's a great opportunity for enthusiasts to see more of Michael's work up close.

We'll have a selection of framed pieces up, as well as some of Michael's Gallery Edition Canvases and unframed Limited Edition Prints. Kennedy Picture Framing has offered a 20% discount on custom framing to anyone that purchases one of the unframed pieces at the show.

Maybe we'll see you there. — Linda

Mopar Magic Car Show in Cornwall, Ontario

We exhibit Michael's work at about a dozen shows a year. Some, we set up ourselves, others are handled by our dealers. Most are larger, 2-day or longer shows, like Moparfest in New Hamburg,  Mecum Indy, Barrett Jackson, or events at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Due to time constraints, a busy schedule, 2 kids and the length of time it takes us to set up and tear down (3-4 hours on each end), we don't usually do one-day shows.

We do, however, occasionally make an exception ... Mopar Magic in Cornwall, Ontario for example. We were there last in 2011, not able to attend last year. It's a one day, in the park, on the Seaway, car show put on by Jack Notman Chrysler. In attendance are cars you just don't see anywhere else. On the St. Lawrence Seaway, it's a short hop from New York State, Quebec and Ottawa. Here's a little video I found on-line of the 2011 event.


Michael and I will be set up there again this year. (Saturday June 29th). If you're in the area, drop in ... it's a nice way to spend an early summer day. — Linda