by Wallace Wyss –
The grand opening for the general public is now postponed to sometime in 2022. My Car Quest will post it when we have a firm date.
We look forward to the Grand Opening of The Segerstrom Shelby Event Center and Museum displaying what they say is “the 4th Largest Collection of Shelby Cars in the U.S. and Largest Collection in Southern California.”
Kathy Ireland co-hosts with Ted and Rae Segerstrom. The Segerstroms Orange County history goes back a few generations to 1908 when they were lima bean farmers in Orange County on 20 acres of land.
The collection of over 70 cars includes a lot of rare Shelby Mustangs as well as Cobras. Ted Segerstrom, in an interview on the website Petrolicious, was quoted as saying:
If we had more room we might do more but if there’s really no meaning behind them, and you’re just looking to acquire numbers, you could do that any day. We like to go for the rarer models, the hard-to-find ones, and preserve those. That’s what it all comes down to right now, is preserving the history and doing it correct, getting the right parts put on, the original date parts, if they’re available. That’s the way they came from the factory and that’s the way they should be.
The Center is a celebration of legendary race car designer and historical figure Carroll Shelby, who was portrayed by Matt Damon in the critically acclaimed 2019 blockbuster feature film Ford vs. Ferrari. The over 41,000 square foot museum and event center is home to over 83 Shelby vehicles, neon signs, gas pumps and other collectibles from Mr. and Mrs. Segerstrom’s private collection and displays, what they say are “the Most Sought After, Low-Production and Valuable Shelby’s ever Produced.”
One date we have for the general public opening is January 20, 2022 but when it comes closer to that date, we will post a notice here.
The Segerstrom Shelby Event Center is at 5 Whatney, Irvine, CA 92618.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is the author of 18 car books and co-host of Autotalk, a show broadcast weekly on KUCR FM Riverside.
This PR photo provided to the author by Shelby American during his visit in 1965.
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