Founded by engineer Jerod Shelby in Richland, Washington, SSC North America has twice built the fastest production car in the world. Its logo is a Shelby family crest repainted in American colours.
- Country
-
United States - Active
- Since 1998
- Founded by
- Jerod Shelby
- Website
- Official website ↗
A Shelby, but not that Shelby
The founder of SSC is called Shelby. Jerod Shelby. He is not related to Carroll Shelby, the racing legend, and that small coincidence ended up shaping both the company’s name and its logo.
According to SSC, the company was founded by Jerod Shelby in 1998 in Richland, Washington. He was an engineer with a passion for cars and racing, and the goal was simple to state and hard to do: design and build an American supercar that could stand up to a European-dominated industry. The firm was named Shelby SuperCars, SSC for short, and it worked quietly in West Richland on what would become the Ultimate Aero.
Then came September 13, 2007. On a closed rural road in Eastern Washington, the Ultimate Aero averaged 256.14 mph over two passes and became the fastest production car in the world. NBC News reported that Guinness World Records verified the runs, 257.41 mph one way and 254.88 mph back, and made the announcement official on October 9, 2007. SSC says it held the title from 2007 to 2010.
Dropping the Shelby in 2012
Fame brought a problem. The name Shelby belonged, as a trademark, to Carroll Shelby, the man behind the Shelby Mustangs. In January 2012 the two sides settled, and Shelby SuperCars officially became SSC North America. Jerod Shelby called it “a new corporate identity strategy which more clearly identifies itself”. SSC puts it this way today: the new name marked it as a separate entity from Carroll Shelby International, and as a supercar company based in North America.
A family crest with an American paint job
The SSC logo has two parts: the letters SSC in a bold, forward-leaning italic, with the words North America beneath, and a shield-shaped crest next to them. The crest is the interesting bit. SSC explains that it is derived from the original crest of Jerod Shelby’s family, which goes back generations. When it was adopted for the company, the colours were changed to red, white and blue to reflect the colours of the United States.
Across the top of the shield runs the Latin motto In Veritate Victoria, which SSC translates as “In Truth is Victory”. Below it, the field is filled with a pattern of diamonds, crossed by a double chevron, with a small heraldic figure at the base. SSC says it found it important to carry the Shelby family crest into its next generation of hypercar development.
Two versions of this badge have been used. In the earlier one the crest sat on the left, rendered in glossy navy blue and red with a white border, and the words North America followed the lettering in a lighter typeface. On August 6, 2018, six years after the name change, SSC announced slight changes to its logo. The crest and the general font style of the SSC letters stayed. What changed, in SSC’s words, was the orientation of the components and softer colours: the crest moved to the right, the flat lettering turned dark grey, North America appeared in capitals under the wordmark, and the crest took on muted teal and rust tones. SSC said the update was a step in a continual process of modernising its identity. A plain single-colour version, white on black, is what you see on the company’s website.
Why the car is called Tuatara
SSC revealed the Tuatara name in July 2011. The tuatara is a New Zealand reptile whose lineage predates the dinosaurs, and the name comes from a Maori phrase meaning “peaks on the back”, which SSC linked to the winglets on the car’s tail. Jerod Shelby said the name “had to have a power and exotic ring to it”.
Two cars, two world records
SSC has built very few models, but each one was aimed at the same target: the top speed record for a production car. The Tuatara, styled by Jason Castriota and powered by a twin-turbo V8 developed with Nelson Racing Engines, is the car that carried the current badge to its records.
Landmark SSCs, record by record
- 2007: Ultimate Aero. Averaged 256.14 mph on a rural road in Eastern Washington on September 13, 2007, and took the fastest production car title.
- 2011: Tuatara. The name was revealed in July 2011 and SSC showed the car at the Dubai International Motor Show that year, with a body designed by Jason Castriota.
- 2021: Tuatara record. On January 17, 2021, owner Larry Caplin averaged 282.9 mph in two directions on the 2.5-mile runway at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
- 2022: Tuatara, 295 mph. On May 14, 2022, the same car and driver reached 295.0 mph on the same runway, recorded by Racelogic, with 1,750 hp on E85 and a drag coefficient of 0.279.
- 2025: Tuatara Striker. The high-downforce version, 1,750 hp and road legal. In February 2025 SSC announced a record tour with a fastest-lap attempt for the Striker; a 2,200 hp track-only Aggressor sits above it.
There is a footnote to the 2021 record. In October 2020 SSC had claimed a 316.11 mph average on a Nevada highway. Doubts about the data followed, and Jerod Shelby said, “We were seeing different speeds for the very same run.” The January 2021 run at Kennedy Space Center was the answer. SSC’s rivals in this game are the usual suspects: Koenigsegg, whose CCR the Ultimate Aero beat in 2007 and whose 277.87 mph mark of 2017 the Tuatara chased, Bugatti and fellow American Hennessey. SSC remains an independent company based in Richland, Washington. For more on how badges like these come together, see how car logos are designed.
Frequently asked questions
What does the SSC logo mean?
According to SSC, the shield in the logo is derived from the family crest of founder Jerod Shelby. Its colours were changed to red, white and blue for the United States, and the motto In Veritate Victoria means “In Truth is Victory”.
Is SSC connected to Carroll Shelby?
No. SSC was founded by Jerod Shelby, who is not related to Carroll Shelby. The company was called Shelby SuperCars until 2012, when it became SSC North America to identify itself as a separate entity from Carroll Shelby International.
When did SSC change its logo?
On August 6, 2018. SSC kept the crest and the SSC lettering but changed the orientation of the components and adopted softer colours.
What does SSC stand for?
Shelby SuperCars, the company’s original name. Since 2012 the official name has been SSC North America.
Where is SSC based?
In Richland, Washington, in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State. SSC describes its home as Washington’s wine country.
In Veritate Victoria: the SSC facts
- Founded
- 1998
- Founder
- Jerod Shelby
- Country
- United States
- Headquarters
- Richland, Washington, USA
- Current emblem
- Bold italic SSC lettering with North America beneath, next to a shield crest with a diamond pattern, a double chevron and the motto In Veritate Victoria; updated in August 2018
- Known for
- American hypercars with top speed records: Ultimate Aero and Tuatara
- Website
- Official website ↗
