Did Shelby Build a V8 Austin-Healey?

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Of the original seven competition rally Tigers, five exist today with the other four in England. And just how does one make sense of that sentence?

Five exist, one is in the US and 4 are in England?

Now if it said of the original seven, nine exist today with the other eleven in England than that would sound like a Cobra thing.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Five exist, one is in the US and 4 are in England?

Now if it said of the original seven, nine exist today with the other eleven in England than that would sound like a Cobra thing.

Yep, a Cobra thing for sure. I always had a thing for Sunbeam Tigers. I think it was because of Get Smart!.

[snakeeyes]

Here's a link to an interesting Moss Motoring article about Shelby and his connection to Donald Healey. I had frankly forgotten that CS had set several land speed records in Healeys. Per this article Shel initially contacted Donald Healey about his "V8 in a British roadster" idea, was turned down, and called AC. I believe I've read that before but it's been years since I've looked at Carroll's pre-Cobra history.

August 23 and 24, 1954 – Moss Motoring

[HealeyRick]

Originally Posted by snakeeyes

Here's a link to an interesting Moss Motoring article about Shelby and his connection to Donald Healey. I had frankly forgotten that CS had set several land speed records in Healeys. Per this article Shel initially contacted Donald Healey about his "V8 in a British roadster" idea, was turned down, and called AC. I believe I've read that before but it's been years since I've looked at Carroll's pre-Cobra history.

August 23 and 24, 1954 – Moss Motoring

I've never been able to tie down what exactly happened when Shelby approached Donald Healey to put a V8 in the Healey. At the time, Shelby was shopping his idea of a V8 swap to a bunch of different British manufacturers. It must be remembered that Donald Healey did not control the production of Austin-Healey cars. Donald was head of the Donald Healey Motor Co. Ltd, a very small manufacturing company that produced the Healey 100 and exhibited it at the London Motor Show in 1952. He made a deal at that show to have production of the car taken over by the Austin Motor Co., that later was taken over by the British Motor Corp in exchange for royalties on each car produced. So when Shelby came around with his idea, Donald Healey could only control what his DHMC could produce, not overall Austin-Healey production. BMC may well not wanted to see a Shelby-Healey in competition with the E-Type. Meanwhile, Chevy probably didn't want to be selling motors to a project that would kick the Corvette's butt. Donald Healey was a real hot-rodder and I think he would've gone for the idea in a heartbeat, but his corporate minders either quashed it or he knew it was a no-go from the start.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Yep, a Cobra thing for sure. I always had a thing for Sunbeam Tigers. I think it was because of Get Smart!.

Did you have a 'thing' for Barbara Feldon?

[Dirty Harry]

Interesting stuff, Rick. Good to hear from you again.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Yep, a Cobra thing for sure. I always had a thing for Sunbeam Tigers. I think it was because of Get Smart!.

Well if you have room in your garage...

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...beam-tiger-23/

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Well if you have room in your garage...

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...beam-tiger-23/

Well that is just lovely. The bid right now is $41k. If I were 30 years younger, I would seriously consider buying that as an "almost daily driver."