The television special, financed and produced by Carlisle Events, serves as an introduction to the lineup of events held each year at the Carlisle Fairgrounds and tells the story of this beloved phenomenon in the collector car hobby. Coming to Speed Channel in the spring, the special will be aired at least four times in 2005. Barry Meguiar, host of "Car Crazy" on Speed Channel, also hosts the "Cars at Carlisle" program.
Carlisle Events began filming events early in the 2004 show season with the goal of creating a television special, and Speed Channel expressed interest early in the project. Carlisle Events is the host of at least 10 collector car, truck, and motorcycle events each year, and attracts more than half a million people to its 82-acre fairgrounds in Carlisle annually. Included in the yearly schedule are two huge automotive swap meets (one in the spring, one in the fall) as well as the 20th Import-Kit/Replica Nationals, set for May 20-22, 2005. For more on the car show series as well as updates on the TV show, visit www.carsatcarlisle.com.
Denice Halicki & Carroll Shelby Trade LawsuitsDenice Halicki, CEO of Halicki Films, has asked a Los Angeles Federal Court to stop defendant Carroll Shelby from branding and marketing his line of high-end, retrofitted Ford Mustangs with the name "Eleanor," similar to the clone pictured below that sold at last year's Barrett-Jackson auction for $194,400. Halicki claims that she and her husband, the late filmmaker H.B. "Toby" Halicki, were the first to use the Eleanor and "Gone in 60 Seconds" marks, and that Shelby has no right to market Eleanor-branded vehicles and merchandise without her permission. Halicki alleges that she discovered that the defendants were manufacturing and marketing unauthorized motor vehicles, which are copies of the character Eleanor featured in "Gone in 60 Seconds," and which sell at prices ranging from $90,000 to $150,000 each.
She also claims that the defendants have further expanded their exploitation of her Eleanor trademark by marketing bronze scale models of Eleanor and selling them for $5,900 apiece, selling Eleanor clothing, selling posters of Mr. Shelby and Eleanor, licensing Eleanor to Quaker State Motor Oil, and made a race car with the names "Gone in 60 Seconds" and Eleanor on it.
In 1974, Toby Halicki, the plaintiff's late husband, wrote, produced, and directed the original film "Gone in 60 Seconds" that starred Eleanor, a 1971 Fastback Mustang that he customized into a Mach 1 Fastback Mustang. In 1989, Toby was tragically killed during a stunt sequence while filming "Gone in 60 Seconds 2," which also featured Eleanor. Denice Halicki obtained all right, title, and interest to the original film "Gone in 60 Seconds" and Eleanor from her husband's estate, and contracted in 1995 to remake "Gone in 60 Seconds," a film that was released starring Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie, and Eleanor.
Shelby has countersued, claiming he already owns the trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent Office that grant him the rights to produce the items he sells, and considers Halicki's lawsuit frivolous and malicious. He further contends Halicki's use of the Shelby car design and name trademarks to make and sell the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds" was never authorized by Shelby, which owns all of the Shelby trademarks used in the movie.
Though one might need a scorecard to keep track of Carroll Shelby's courtroom visits these past few years, KIT CAR believes it won't be the last time you read about the legal wranglings of the legendary Texan.