Monday, August 8, 2016

Don't You Miss Shelby American While In Las Vegas

If you are a car person or just appreciate a great classic automobile, Shelby American is the kind of stop that might be worth your time. The showroom is filled with some of Carroll Shelby's best engineering examples. The highly envied collection is a museum of early racing marvels.

Located just Southwest of the Las Vegas Strip, Shelby American opened its doors in 2009 and has dazzled its visitors ever since. A revered mechanic and engineering wizard, Carroll Shelby's early designs surpassed the standard of fast cars in his time. The modifications and specs designed into these cars made any model bearing the name Shelby a pricey treasure. These are automotive gold.

Shelby American Showroom Las Vegas

The Shelby Cobra is still a revered sports car and the envy of collectors who actually own one. There are very few of these original cars left. The ones seen on the roads today are more than likely fiberglass replicas. Most of the initial models of the Shelby Cobra went to scrap yards as victims of racing. Several of the originals are present and accounted for on the showroom floor at Shelby American for you to oooh and ahhh over. They certainly are very attractive models.

Shelby's 427 Cobra - Image: M Burgess - All Rights Reserved

Shelby 427 Cobra

1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (Blue) by Shelby Collect
[Amazon Link]

Shelby Mustangs


	1 967 Ford Shelby Mustang GT-350 Medium Gray Metallic 50th Anniversary Limited Edition to 1002pc 1/18 by Autoworld AMM1060 by Shelby [Amazon Link]

[Video]

Carroll Shelby: An Interview with the Snake

See the collection for yourself

Address: 6405 Ensworth St, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Phone:(702) 942-7325

Hours: Open today · 9AM–6PM

Website: http://www.shelbyamerican.com/

Shelby and AC Cobra Hardcover by Brian Laban
[Amazon Link]

Affiliate advertising links are featured on this page. The purchase of an item through these links nets the author of this page a small commision for placement.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The Riviera - A Vegas Icon Up In Smoke

June 14, 2016 - This morning marks a turning point on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. A historical moment was recorded by hundreds of locals and a few dozen visitors alike. News teams rallied for their position on the surface and in the skies overhead via helicopters. The Riviera's Monaco Tower would be removed from existence in the early morning hours.

The Riviera Sign - Las Vegas Strip - Image M Burgess

The Iconic Riviera Sign - One of the original neon creations familiar on the Resort Corridor in Las Vegas.

Everyone who was interested in the event jockeyed for position as close as the security monitors would let them. Paradise was closed to all traffic as were all the streets surrounding this aged property. The west end proved to be an adequate viewpoint for this author. The wait began. The first firework would launch and this would be the signal to pay close attention as the countdown began. A historical Vegas property would be turned into dust and rubble momentarily. There would be a large, gaping hole in the familiar skyline where this old resort stood.

Interested onlookers drove as far in as they possibly could and gridlocked both the Strip corridor North and Paradise Road just east of the location. This stall in traffic movement would allow for spectators to safely step out of their cars and watch from the travel lanes. Cell phones were out and the implosion parties began. The fireworks and colorful displays were magnificent.

Implosion parties are a tradition in this fair city. These hotels and casinos have hosted the biggest names in show business. It is with honor they are demolished. They are carefully folded up like an old, familiar blanket and tucked away in photograph and video, a chapter in the city's history book.

The close of a property's chapter in local history ends with a pyrotechnic bang and a nice crowd. They cheer, hoot, and holler in delight at the fireworks show preceding the explosion. The whistles and applause echo along with the concussion within the wired building. One by one support beams and flooring structures would knock loose and the structure would collapse neatly upon itself, leaving a huge dust cloud in its wake. It is the death of an icon. It is the end of an era.

East View

(From my friend Travis Gunter)