Why is Joel Rosen so secretive?

sYc · #1 08-16-2002, 07:33 PM

Hopefully some day Joel will make an appearance at a Supercar Reunion. He was invited to the first event, but we were unable to work out the details. Since then, the sYc, along with several of Joel's friends, have talked to him about it. Strange as it might seem, it appears that Joel is not really interested in the whole supercar scene. Tom

whitetop · #2 08-16-2002, 09:41 PM

"It appears Joel is not really interested in the whole Supercar scene"

Sure is interested in the $1500 documentation fee though!!
Dave

djunod · #3 08-17-2002, 03:06 AM

I talked to him a few weeks ago on the phone, and he was very forthcoming about the number of "Manta Ray" corvettes and "Maco Shark" corvettes there are.

1969_SYC · #4 08-17-2002, 12:27 PM

Care to share the numbers?

**Stefano** · #5 08-17-2002, 04:15 PM

**tom406** · #6 08-18-2002, 01:16 AM

I am kind of surprised Mr. Rosen doesn't exploit his quasi-celebrity status a little bit more. Since many of the Supercar creators/tuners are no longer with us, he is in a unique position.

I don't begrudge him if he has moved on to other interests, but it seems he could benefit himself if he worked it a little better. I personally don't think Carroll Shelby gives a rats a** about Shelby Mustangs (they were a job he took on) and had moved on even in terms of the Cobras. But for better or worse, he uses his appearances and interactions with the Shelby cult to further his interests. Some appear to be good (Children's Heart Fund) some not so good (trying to put some quality Cobra kit builders out of business.) But he seems to play it to his advantage.

At the very least, with some additional support of the hobby, Joel Rosen could cement some sort of legacy for himself and the Motion heyday, something few get to do.

I may not understand his attitude, and question his financial motivations at times, but I do respect the accomplishments he achieved in the cars he built and campaigned, and the media image he created for his business. No small feat in my opinion.

JoeC · #7 08-18-2002, 02:38 AM

He still has his foot in the Supercar door. see attached pic of Mike and Joel

AutoInsane · #8 08-27-2002, 08:58 PM

I am assuming that 'Mike' in the picture is MadMike of this board...

Mike..what cars are shown in the picture? What cars does Joel own? Very curious to know!!!

Would Joel be willing to come on here to answer the occasional question? Could you imagine???

It just seems like with so much detective work being done on the cars what an amazing resource to have the one man responsible for it all to be able to fill in the blanks!!

Oh yea....why wont he tell anyone how many cars he made? I dont understand the harm or potential loss of revenue to himself....

**Stefano** · #9 08-18-2002, 06:03 AM

Tom,
Shelby is quite the enthusiast. He has always kept a few drivers for himself. He is a big advocate of driving the cars as they were meant to be driven (Health and age not withstanding).

Prior to his last heart transplant, a few years ago, he was ranting about putting his favorite Mustang driver (GT 500 KR Rag Top) through its paces on the Texas back roads close to his home.

Many may not think the topic of Caroll Shelby pertinent to this site, but he was a friend, peer and major influence on the late great Don Yenko.

**tom406** · #10 08-20-2002, 06:38 AM

Your point is well taken, Stefano. But in most of the interviews I've read (since the late 70's, I've been a Shelby vehicle fan for awhile), he always seems bemused by the fanatics. I think he's come to appreciate the support and adulation as he's aged, but up to that point he was always into other things. The tire store, PIT STOP deodorant, the chili mix, the quiet time in Africa, the car production was just one of the things he did until he got older and more reflective.

The funny thing is that guys like me (us?) who are so into history may never truly connect with some of our heroes. They tend to be the do-ers of the world, who by virtue of their personalities, don't dwell on history or details, they want to do more stuff, not relive past glories.

This is probably why Don Yenko's quotes are off on the production numbers. He wasn't focused on the historical significance, he wanted to get the cars built, have some fun, and make a living. Over the period of 15 or 20 years, the memories of what you dreamed of building, versus what you were able to actually get or produce, probably blur together.

(I'm just all over the board here. First I put a Motion reference in the Nickey section, then I pollute the Motion section with Shelby and Yenko stuff. Maybe I should stick to the General Section... [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] )

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