When most of us think of Carroll Shelby, we think of the smiling old grandpa-figure who loved his fast cars perhaps a bit too much. Yet once upon a time Shelby was a young man, and he was just 40 years old when he first conceived of the Cobra, the car that would put him on the map. To see old images of Carroll Shelby is like taking a trip back in time, to a simpler, faster America.

This classic Shelby commercial isn’t just about the man; it’s about the car. And yet would we have the car without the man? No. So enjoy this commercial for the 1968 Shelby GT500, and pay tribute in you heart to the man who helped create the legend it is today.

On to the commercial, it is pretty classic 1960’s fare. Long shots of the car, close up shots of Shelby, and a voiceover from the man himself while the car does all the hard work. Shelby says that to “make the car I wanted,” he had to take an existing car. He could have chosen any car, but he went with the Mustang…and we always wondered why.

Well we have our answer in this commercial. Shelby says the Mustang is “styled right,” along with a “long list of features and options” that made it the perfect base for his GT350 and GT500 supercars. Shelby ends with this nuggets of wisdom. “Only Mustang makes it happen. These aren’t just words. It’s a fact.”

Well said Mr. Shelby. You will be missed.