2004 Detroit Auto Show:Carroll Shelby Unveils New Ford Shelby Cobra Concept

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 8, 2004 -- Carroll Shelby International, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: CSBI) , announced today that Carroll Shelby, its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Ford Motor Company, unveiled the new Ford Shelby Cobra concept car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sunday. This comes after their recent announcement of the Shelby, Ford partnership less than six months ago in Monterey, California.

While the design is clearly 21st century, the roadster is intentionally reminiscent of the classic Cobra styling. Key details -- such as the dominant grille opening, hood scoop, bulging wheel arches, side vents, vertical bumper bars and stacked lamps in the front and rear -- establish the historical and emotional connection to Shelby's original 1960s creation.

In honor of the Cobra heritage, is a fully modern architecture with subtle styling cues that hint at the legendary Cobra's of the 1960s. This 427-inspired 605 horsepower, 6.4-liter, all aluminum V-10 engine pushes 501 foot-pounds of torque -- without the aid of supercharging or turbocharging and 0 - 60 in less than four seconds.

"This is an exciting time for Cobra and Ford fans," says Carroll Shelby. "If we were starting the Cobra today from scratch, this is the way it would look and feel by today's standards.

In the 1960s Carroll Shelby and Ford worked together on both racing and production vehicle programs, from the original Ford-powered Shelby Cobra to the Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 racing cars and the Shelby GT350 and GT500 Mustangs that kick-started the pony car craze. It was a decade of performance punctuated by Ford muscle and Shelby's engineering prowess.

About Carroll Shelby International, Inc.

Carroll Shelby International, Inc. is the parent company of Shelby Automobiles and Carroll Shelby Licensing.

Shelby Automobiles Inc. is manufacturing high performance Shelby vehicles under the guidance of the legendary Carroll Shelby and will be involved in prototype manufacturing, design and engineering projects; and plans to increase production and availability of these Shelby products through an expanded dealer network and direct sales under a license agreement with Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc. For more information, call 702/325-4851 or visit the company's web site at www.shelbyautos.com .

Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc., founded in 1988, is the exclusive holder of automotive manufacturer and entrepreneur Carroll Shelby's trademarks and vehicle design rights, which include some of the world's most famous muscle cars and high-performance vehicles, including the car that brought home to the U.S. its first and only FIA World Manufacturers Championship in 1965, the famous Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. It also holds trademark rights for Shelby-branded apparel, accessories and collectibles. For additional information about the company or licensing opportunities, call (310) 914-1843, or fax (310) 914-1853 or write to Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc., 11150 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite 1050, Los Angeles, CA 90064 or visit www.carrollshelbyinternational.com or www.carrollshelby.com .

Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.