Shelby School of High Performance Driving

[289Tommy]

Is there a list of the students who attended the Shelby School of High Performance Driving? The reason I ask is because I'm trying to verify that a past 65 GT 350 owner went through it.
He owned #137 which had a brass plaque under the radio that said "made especially for Lee Jennings". I "found" this car in the late 80's near my hometown and 20 years later met Lee who went by the name "Slim". I remember him mentioning that he visited the factory and went through the driving school. He owned two different 65's a 67' GT 350 and a 427 Cobra all of which were in the Oklahoma City area I think, possibly Tulsa. wherever Moore Ford was.
I never got to know Lee well and he has since passed but seeing the brass plaque and not knowing that story and then in a completely unrelated instance meeting "Slim" who I found out was in fact Lee Jennings and his ownership history has been eating at me forever.

[Bob Gaines]

Is there a list of the students who attended the Shelby School of High Performance Driving? The reason I ask is because I'm trying to verify that a past 65 GT 350 owner went through it.
He owned #137 which had a brass plaque under the radio that said "made especially for Lee Jennings". I "found" this car in the late 80's near my hometown and 20 years later met Lee who went by the name "Slim". I remember him mentioning that he visited the factory and went through the driving school. He owned two different 65's a 67' GT 350 and a 427 Cobra all of which were in the Oklahoma City area I think, possibly Tulsa. wherever Moore Ford was.
I never got to know Lee well and he has since passed but seeing the brass plaque and not knowing that story and then in a completely unrelated instance meeting "Slim" who I found out was in fact Lee Jennings and his ownership history has been eating at me forever.

Welcome and thanks for posting your experience. Is it one that looks like the picture I posted? This type could be had from the factory in various ways back in the day. Not to say for sure that the one you saw wasn't placed there by Carroll Shelby but Branda performance has been selling these since the 70's . They  currently sell for 14.95 on their website. If nothing else if it is the same you may want to pick one up for a memento of that good memory.

[289Tommy]

It's been almost 30 years since i saw the plaque but is was not the Branda one. Lee owned the cars I mentioned in the 60's when they were new so the plaque was not a repop. I have pics he gave me of one of the two 65's he had. He didn't keep up with the numbers and the only reason I know the serial on #137 is because I viewed it and tried to buy it from the previous owner when I was a senior in High School. He also gave me an original 66 brochure. He didn't have pictures of the 67' or the Cobra.
I don't mean for this discussion to get 65 GT 350 specific. I was more interested in verifying that Lee in fact did go to the driving school.
I have told the story of how I came to know about 137 and my visit with the owner at that time (late 80's early 90's) on this forum. I also updated the registry info a few years ago because I was unsuccessful in getting the car but around the same time, Morris Kuhel (who headed up the Heart of Texas Mustang Club) did end up buying the car which later went to the pacific NW and the registry didn't have Lee mentioned.
I've spoken to several people in the Pacific NW who knew the car well after resto and the plaque is with the car if not still on it.
As I said, it's less about the plaque and more my curiosity that Lee went through the driving school.

[Bob Gaines]

I do not think that the plaques were given out at the driving school at least I never heard of that instead the "Made For"plagues were associated with car ownership . They were given out by the factory and I believe I have seen a old advertisement where you could send in to have one engraved with your name.  I vaguely remember seeing a brass plaque before but can't remember when or where. It is a shame you don't have a picture of the plaque you remember seeing as myself and I dare say many others do not have a picture of a brass version of a "Made for " plaque and would like to have one for the data base. Best of luck on finding the driving school info you seek.

[289Tommy]

Thanks Bob, the plaque is secondary if anything. Mainly I wanted to verify the attendance at the driving school and I
I'd like to learn more about the driving school aside from what Bill Neale used to tell me when he and I visited.
I never associated the plaque with the school, it was just a point of reference regarding someone who was rumored to have attended and someone I had a personal connection with.
I never took pics of the car when I was allowed to view it as I thought i'd have ticked off the owner and I was young and a bit timid back then. I do have pics from inside my car showing 137 in front of the trailer house where I found it, 5 Shelby Cragars, no GT350 side designation and no Le Mans stripes which matches the pics Lee gave me of the car from around 1967. He bought a 67 GT 350 after owning a 65 GT 350 and in his words "the worst mistake I ever made". He traded the 67 back to the same dealer for a 65 GT 350 and added A/C. #137 also had a carpeted 1966 style rear shelf not the 65, so trap door and 66 shelf with loop carpet were original to #137 in Lee's words. The only thing 137 was missing when I saw it was the original tach, otherwise it was all there.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/us-racing/carroll-shelby-and-the-uss-first-ever-high-performance-driving-school

It's a long time ago and it's been through many changes but maybe the customer list from the school went to Bondurant when he bought it.