I would like to share some info on RB and at the same time learn a bit more.
He was brought up in Paptoetoe. His father either owned or ran a garage at school corner on the Gt South Road. He or the Butler family imported a Porsche 356 carrera which Ron raced at Ardmore in 19??
Ron, and his wife Moi, left NZ bound for Canada (Vancouver BC) and after a couple of years (?) found their way to Calif. Not long after arriving, Ron found a job at a start up company... Shelby America! He taught him self to weld at night and soon became one of the Shelby Fabricators. He raised two sons, one of whom works at his side.
In 1966, Ron won The "Sturtevant Tribute to Mechanics" at Sebring by the being Crew Chief for the winning GT40 with Ken Miles and Llyod Ruby! In 1968, Ron was involved with the Shelby Tubine at Indy, designed by Ken Wallis, paid for by Goodyear. Shelby built the two four wheel drive, tubine cars. The cars were tested by Denis Hulme and Bruce McLaren. It was Ron who worked out and told Shelby that the designer had built into the design, a method to by-pass the USAC mandated air restrictor though a series of complex air deflectors. The Turbines never raced at Indy.
In latter life Ron built up a business of Cobra copies/clones/ call them what you will. The "Butler Built" cars are now highly sought after. The build quality is truly a work of art.
Later on, Ron raced midgets on the Dirt (Ascot) in his own designd cars. He has just recently retired from sprint car racing. He could still win (Ventura) at the age of 70!
I met Ron in the mid 90s when Ron was racing the Ken Miles MG R II (Flying Shingle) for a friend whom I worked for. Ron was kind enough to let me have a go in his sprint car (once was enough). We visit him and Moi in Santa Barbara when we can.
I look forward to any corrections or additions to this story. -Tony Garmey
Great intro Horizon!! what an amazing guy and he sure spread the "Kiwi" name around when it came to great fabricators and mechanical skills, we forget there where more to this puzzle than the McLaren, Hulme and Amon trio!!
Having done many Shelby America and Historic events in California i have never managed to meet Ron and sure would luv too, offcourse he wasn't the only Kiwi at Shelby American and have meet Steel Thurkelson several times(see pic) and offcourse the famous John Olsen(RIP) and just recently spoke with Grev Hesketh at the Hampton festival. It sounds like Shelby American had a real Kiwi flavour back in the 60's, and i've picked up on this at shelby events i have attended. I have spoken also with Paul Fahey about Ron and guess they know each other quite well having been both from Papatoetoe. Would be great to get Ron down for the Denny Hulme event next year, do you know when he was last in NZ?
Wasn't Ron instrumental in getting Paul Fahey into the old Shelby workshops in 1970 when Fahey was buying up parts for his Boss Mustang? All the cars were gone, but there was just tons of parts; engines, wheels, tyres, gearboxes, diffs etc. Fahey bought the lot and sent it all back to New Zealand.
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