Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc., and TOPDON US, a provider of cutting-edge technology and advanced automotive tools, announced a strategic agreement designed to grow their respective businesses. The automotive industry companies will exchange technical information and conduct product evaluations while supporting various marketing and educational initiatives.
“Since our founding in 1962, Shelby American has worked with top industry players to gain a strategic advantage,” said Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American. “By working with TOPDON, we’re giving our production team new capabilities, sharing industry insights between our companies and increasing the reliability of our big rig. This is a win for everyone involved.”
Several TOPDON diagnostic tools will be integrated into Shelby American’s production facility and 18-wheeler that is used to transport vehicles across the country to car shows and major events. The initial two products include TOPDON’s commercial-grade V4500Plus Jump Starter and its Phoenix Max automotive diagnostic scanner.
“TOPDON values its strong relationships with the most popular car, truck and motorcycle manufacturers around the world,” said Chad Schnitz, vice president of TOPDON US. “We work with major carmakers to give auto techs and DIYers access to their systems for OE reprogramming and diagnostic functions. However, this is the first time we’ve worked directly with an auto company to exchange technical information and data we can implement into future products. Plus, we’re excited our V4500Plus Jump Starter will be there to help keep the Shelby rig rolling down the road in the event of battery failure.”
Company Outreach
In addition to the technical aspects of the agreement, both companies will promote their relationship through various activities. TOPDON US is also an official sponsor of the Carroll Shelby Automotive Institute, where it supports Carroll Shelby’s vision to empower the next generation of automotive technicians.
“We’re excited to have access to all the capabilities available through TOPDON’s Phoenix Max diagnostic scanner,” said Vince LaViolette, Shelby American vice president of operations and senior designer. “Our tech crew will use it to diagnose issues when we’re building and tuning our advanced prototypes. It will also help us identify any problems with base vehicles that come into the shop. We plan to share our experiences and trends with TOPDON so they can continue to lead the industry with their world-class products.”
Founded by Carroll Shelby, Shelby American manufactures and markets performance vehicles and related products worldwide. Based in Las Vegas, the company’s offerings include the Shelby GT, 1000, Super Snake, GT-S and Shelby Raptor post-title packages for the 2005-up Ford Mustang and Ford trucks.