BOULDER, Col. – In the Ford enthusiast world, there are driving events and then there are driving events. The 2024 Colorado Shelby Rally was certainly one of those, traversing the beautiful roads of Colorado’s hills and valleys as drivers made their way to the Shelby American Collection in Boulder, Colorado. Participants not only had fun enjoying their cars on winding roads while making new friends, but they also were able to raise money for charity in the process.

The 2024 Colorado Shelby Rally included “A 2005 Ford GT and 2018 Ford GT in the Rally [along with] … 32 Shelbys that came from numerous states,” said event organizer Aaron Kerry. He noted that the event always draws participants from around the country as the multi-day event covers more than 1,100 miles.

The start of the rally this year was marked with a kickoff party in Cripple Creek, Colorado. “I coordinated with the town to block off the main strip so that we could park there for a huge attraction,” said Kerry. “Cripple Creek is also a casino town, so everyone had a great time testing their luck.”

The rally itself started the next day as participants made their way to the Million Dollar Highway enroute to the Shelby American Collection in Boulder.

Traveling with them and piloting the 2018 Ford GT was former Ford designer Camilo Pardo. Known for penning the 2005 Ford GT, he and  Shelby legend Allen Grant provided the group with direct ties to Ford and Shelby history. “Camilo drew this year’s shirt artwork and Allen gave us a speech at the Shelby American Museum,” Kerry explained. “They also signed many autographs.”

At the Shelby American Collection, Pardo painted a special mural to celebrate the rally. “The 40” x 60” canvas artwork that Camilo made will be auctioned off at the Annual Shelby American Collection Car Show,” Kerry revealed. “The proceeds of the artwork’s sale will benefit both the Carroll Shelby Foundation, which supports children with transplants, and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which benefits homeless veterans.”

First-time rally participant Daniel Valdez drove his 2009 Shelby GT500 in this year’s event. A local to the Colorado Springs area, he found out about the scenic cruise online. “I’m pretty new to the car, but [I’ve] been a Ford fan my whole life,” Valdez said. He explained that the GT500 is his “first Mustang – first Shelby.” He was looking on Facebook for owner groups and came across the Colorado Shelby Rally’s page.

“Just being around the people that go to the rally was one of the most enjoyable parts,” Valdez said. “Everyone was so down-to-earth, and getting to meet Allen Grant and Camilo Pardo was the highlight. Plus, being on these roads and seeing the mountain passes was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me!”

For anyone thinking of attending a future rally, Valdez advised: “Make time for it … it was a blast!”

Another Rally participant, Kevin Miller, loves this event so much that he has attended every Colorado Shelby Rally since its inception.

A resident of Littleton, Colorado, Miller drove a 2020 Shelby GT500. He said that what makes this event so special is “being around people from all over the country who enjoy the same things that my wife and I do. It’s fun getting to know some new people as well as some folks who have been to all three rallies, [plus] spending time talking about cars and Shelbys.” For Miller, “seeing the scenery, and getting a chance to exploit the capabilities of the car on some curvy mountain roads,” was a unique experience.

Like with many of the other participants, Miller’s highlight from the rally was meeting Grant and Pardo. “Allen was one of the original team Cobra drivers for Carroll Shelby back in the early sixties,” Miller noted. “He has a Superformance Shelby Cobra and getting to meet one of the original drivers was amazing.” Equally impressive for Miler was meeting Pardo. “Camilo was the designer of the 2005-06 Ford GT – one of my absolute bucket list cars – and him drawing me a caricature of the car, just for fun, at one of the nights of the event was so cool!” Miller also noted that he much enjoyed the nightlife aspect of the rally, saying, “Aaron Kerry puts on a great event with tons of sponsored giveaways every night that are used as raffles -- it was just a fun time!”

There was one more thing that Miller said anyone thinking of coming to the next rally needs to consider, beyond the exhilaration from traveling in a mass of high-performance Ford machinery through breathtaking scenery. And that’s the chance to visit the Shelby American Collection. “It is the largest collection of Shelby race cars in the world,” Miller noted. “Twice we have ended the rally there and were treated to a private event to enjoy all the cars.”

If any of this has you thinking of attending next year’s rally, simply visit the “Colorado Shelby Rally 2025” Facebook page.

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS COURTESY COLORADO SHELBY  RALLY / AARON KERRY