License plate frames

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by my427cobra

So, where do these license plate frames fall into the various categories of originality?
Cheers
Greg

I guess that depends of what one calls original. They would not accurately be described as regular production parts I believe because most Cobras and 427 Cobras didn’t get either of them, they weren’t on the available options lists, and indeed not all the cars were finished in California. I believe most people would call them an accessory.

It has been published that Mr. Shelby directed most team cars being shipped to and from and racing in FIA events (international racing) to wear registration plates. Shelby American had quite a few of them. PR street cars sometimes used the “COBRA …” frames. The idea has been said to have been to give anybody that saw the cars, especially the competition, the impression that the very specialized race cars were street cars. You will see the “COBRA …” frames around manufacturer’s registration tags on team cars in lots of European event pictures. The HP Motors frames often got added to cars sold through that sports car dealership partially owned I believe by Mr. Shelby, it was the retail car sales dealership that most any kind of used Shelby car was processed and sold off to the public through.

Both types have had copies made to some degree of accuracy. The highly prized (based on reported sales prices) ones are wanted by people that have any kind of Shelby car that was sold to its first owner through HP Motors. Used original HP Motors ones have changed hands at very high prices. A couple of new old stock ones sold about fifteen years ago at a mind numbing cost.

Our red car was sold as a factory used car through HP Motors. I would like an original HP Motor frame but I would not spend thousand dollars to get one. (I am wary of any used frame that is not pitted, corroded on the back side, and or cracked. These things were cast in cheap pot metal and barely chrome plated. I doubt anybody had any idea somebody would want them to still be prefect several decades later.)

I have seen so many different versions of the "COBRA..." model since the 1970s I have no idea which is which anymore. I know even less about the recreated versions of the HP Motors model but I am told one is really close to what originals were like.