Tribute: Jim King – Shelby American’s historian and GHMA Founder

Forwarded by Ford Alumni:

Jim King began his Ford of Canada career on March 27,1972. Jim was from “The Rock” where he developed a ‘need for speed’ – his it favourite car was the 427 Cobra and his favourite flight was in an F80 Shooting Star jet fighter compliments of the U.S. Air Force based in St. John’s. However, his passion was automobiles . . . Mustangs in particular . . .  most especially Shelby Mustangs!

Jim’s fondness for Mustangs may have had its genesis in 1964, when a St. John’s Ford dealer invited Jim to test drive a ‘new Ford’ that had arrived at the dealership. After the drive, Jim told the dealer that he would have bought the vehicle if it had a manual transmission.

That same vehicle is currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan complete with Newfoundland plates. History would reveal that Jim had, unknowingly, declined to purchase the first Mustang to roll off the assembly line.

Jim was a key player in the launch of Great Lakes Regional Office in Burlington. Later, in 1987, as Regional Manager – Pacific Region, he was tasked with the restructuring of that Regional sales  organization – many of the innovations of “Pacific Pilot” where adopted nationwide.

Jim was ever proud of his Ford association and the colleagues and friends that it permitted him to experience. He was quick to credit team members for shared successes – he welcomed opportunities to “pay it forward” – Jim was a member of Variety Club and Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion Board of Directors.

On the occasion of Jim’s retirement from Ford after 25 years, he said, “I have always been tremendously proud to say I belonged to Ford. The Company has given me the opportunity to realize a lot of my dreams.”

Jim went on to other opportunities following Ford but none for which he was more uniquely qualified nor enjoyed more than his last assignment as Historian at the Shelby American Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jim passed away on June 15, 2018, of an apparent heart attack. Funeral arrangements will be forwarded if/when they become available.

You can see Jim doing what he loved to do and hear his ‘radio announcer voice’ …

(Thanks to Steve Davidson and George O’ Hearn for the info)