Say the word "Shelby" in automotive circles and almost invariably, visions of a Mustang with dual full-length stripes will pop into everyone's heads. The American speed shop founded by racer Carroll Shelby was one of the first to realize the pony car's potential as something more than a stylish sportster; within a year, it had turned the fastback into a bona fide racing car. More recent collaborations include the 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, a track-ready special with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a 760-horsepower supercharged V8.But when the redesigned 2024 Mustang arrived, it notably lacked the signature snake branding of its predecessors, relying instead on the new Dark Horse trim level and high-tech GTD flagship to sit at the top of the lineup. Then, just a few months ago, Ford introduced yet another 'Stang with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 and a dual-clutch transmission, but bearing the name Dark Horse SC instead of GT500. The rumors of a marketing struggle between the Blue Oval and its longtime tuning partner swirled. Still, according to reporting by Road & Track, Shelby American isn't worried; Ford will be back someday.Shelby American Mustangs Come And Go Company president Gary Patterson told the magazine that it believes it will always have some form of relationship with Dearborn, pointing to the cyclical pattern of the two companies' collaboration. In addition to the 1965–1970 GT350 and 1967–1970 GT500, Ford brought some of its sporting ambitions in-house with the likes of the Trans Am–ready Boss 302. The two companies took a little break from the 1970s to the 2000s, with Shelby American continuing to build its own unofficial versions of the pony car until the retro-styled 2005 Mustang arrived – the 2005 GT H and the 2007 GT500 were the result of that next tie-up. Until 2022, there was pretty much always a Shelby version of the Mustang either in production or in the works, and according to R&T, each unit cost Ford about $800 to license the famous racing name on its sports coupe. That could be why the two companies seemingly parted ways for the 2023 model year, but the magazine also quoted a Ford Racing representative saying that the Dark Horse SC is a motorsports-derived product and that at the time of its development, Shelby was no longer a motorsports company.Shelby American Big Trucks Are Big Business But despite the Las Vegas–based speed shop's recent re-entry into the world of racing, Shelby American has also learned what consumers like most: trucks. Its F-Series variants – the street-focused Shelby F-150 Super Snake, lifted Shelby F-150, and rugged Shelby F-250 Super Baja – make up three quarters of its annual sales, meaning that the company's roots as a Mustang tuner (as well as originator of the Cobra 427 and designer of the original GT40) are no longer as important to the bottom line as they once were.What we do is stay very focused on who Shelby is, and how we can also help polish the Blue Oval.–Gary Patterson, President of Shelby AmericanThat's not to say that Shelby isn't open to a development program or licensing agreement with Ford or that it's giving up on the Mustang business entirely. In fact, mere days after being called out for not having a racing program, the company introduced its home-grown Mustang GT350/TA, an 830-hp track rat with a full carbon fiber racing tub, roll cage, and five-point harnesses, which Shelby will offer as a street-legal race car for privateers. Carroll's outfit may make a lot of money on pickups, but there's still a lot of fun to be had behind the wheel of a car with both horse and snake badges.