The name Shelby has always increased the value of any vehicle it was applied to, and Carroll Shelby always made a point of signing each and every car that passed through his factory. But since his passing, Shelby’s signature has only increased in value, since you cannot get the genuine thing anymore…unless you’re a necromancer.

But in a move that is sure to cause plenty of controversy and raised eyebrows across the automotive world, the Carroll Shelby Foundation has announced that they will begin selling mechanically-copied signatures of Shelby. The Mustang News reports that “Commemorative Signature” program does have charity at its heart…but this is a wee bit morbid, don’t you think?

The Carroll Shelby Foundation is dedicated to giving children both here and abroad access to vital medical treatment and organ transplants. It is a noble organization, of that there is no doubt. Even with Shelby’s passing, the foundation’s work needs to continue. So why not offer something authentically Shelby?

Except, well…it isn’t. The mechanically-written signature can be applied to almost anything for just $75.00, which will no doubt lead to plenty of counterfeiting and fraud attempts. A Shelby signature can add thousands of dollars to the value of a car or other object, and the proliferation of these phony signatures may even devalue the real thing. In a very real way, this effort cheapens the legacy of Carroll Shelby.

It just doesn’t seem like such a good idea, especially considering that Shelby only recently passed on. What are your thoughts on this real-but-not Shelby signature?