Ailing Carroll Shelby addresses health on Facebook

AutoBlog: Ailing Carroll Shelby addresses health on Facebook

A few members of the Autoblog team have been grappling with the issue of our ages recently. Yes, some of us are feeling old. Given that a primary motivation for getting into this automotive journalism racket in the first place was a desire to avoid growing up by spending our whole lives playing with cars, it is frustrating to find out that having Peter Pan Syndrome does not prevent man from turning 40.

So how's this for some much needed perspective: Carroll Shelby will be 90 in January.

His exploits on the track made him an American hero and his success as a car designer and businessman only reinforced his status as one of the great ones. But it's no secret that the octogenarian racer and legend has not been in the best health lately. It's the sort of thing you have to expect when you start pushing nine decades on this planet, especially when you have lived the sort of life that Carroll Shelby has, pushing the limits in a way that most of us will never experience. He's even got his fair share of aftermarket parts, having had both heart and kidney transplants.

Shelby shared the following message concerning his health on Facebook yesterday:

    There have been some rumors about my health lately. So I wanted to clear them up.

    I've been in the hospital over the last several months with pneumonia. But I'm resting comfortably with my family and working on getting better. My kids are taking good care of me.

    I am sorry that I can't make any appearances right now. If you want someone from Shelby at an event in my place, contact Scott Black at TimePiece PR in Dallas. He'll give those requests to my team, who will determine the right person to represent me.

    I also have asked them to post on my behalf to keep you up to date.

    Thanks for the all good wishes and thoughts.

Here's another: Let's hope he has a great party on January 11, 2013.