WI: Shelby Has a Different Engine Supplier

Olds was working on a DOHC V8. Was it impossible for them to "farm out" the design to a contractor who'd then provide it to Shelby? Or, maybe the harder, to have GM's "no racing" edict overturned, or never happen?
 
And then came what could of been the best racing series on the planet. The Can Am series. Except of course for cars like the McLaren's, Porsche 917 and Shadows. In 68 the Can Am saw cars powered by Chevrolet (aluminum block 427), Oldsmobile ( a twin turbocharger big block), a Chrysler Hemi and a Ford SOHC 427.

Of course one reason the US production based engines got written out of the rules might of had something to do with European manufactures ( Ferrari anyone) lobbying the FIA

Even without the lobbying and the FIA bias toward European manufacturers I think the Europeans would overrun the Americans if the rules hadn't changed for 1968. From what I can tell the US V8s used at Le Mans were not nearly as powerful as those used for sprint events like Can Am due to the need to last the full 24 hours. IIUC the GT40 MkIV only had 500-530 hp and the L88 Corvettes had about 560hp whereas Can Am cars had well over 700hp. In contrast by 1968 Ferrari had built a 6.2 litre V12 for Can Am which had over 620hp and the 5 litre version of the Porsche flat 12 had similar power.
 
Kevin Renner said:
I had a thought this morning. There was one other aluminum block V-8 in production in the early '60s. A little bit smaller displacement than the Windsor or the Buick/Olds and most likely a bit smaller in overall size to.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_OHV_V8_engine
It would be interesting to see just how output could of been had from it.
I like it, but I can't see Shelby using a BMW engine over (any) U.S. option...
 
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