Road Trip: 50 years of blowing other cars' doors off...

Its most famous car may be worth $25 million, and its cars can top 200 miles an hour...

Welcome to Shelby American, a company whose rare cars are built to blow by just about any competition, yet are designed to be everyday drivable if that's what an owner wants.

As part of Road Trip 2012, I've stopped in on the company the late Carroll Shelby founded in 1962 -- making this the 50th anniversary of the Cobra and the manufacturer that bears his name.

These days, Shelby is probably best known for the high-end modifications is does to make Ford Mustangs be truly all they can be. For example, the Shelby 1000, which is made entirely by hand in very limited numbers, starts with a 2012 Shelby GT 500 Super Snake -- already a more powerful car than most -- and takes it over the top. The result costs a minimum of $150,000 (not including the base vehicle) and generates more than 1,000 horsepower and a top speed in excess of 200 miles an hour.

SOURCE: CNET.com