Quote:
Originally Posted by Hal Heindel
That being the case, Ned, we may have to revisit just how many "Dragon Snakes" were built. Based on your post, there's little doubt CSX2416 was built as a drag car. On the other hand, I always thought Dragon Snakes were sold as such, since that's how they were marketed and advertised. To my knowledge, the term was never trademarked, so does that make any drag car sold by Shelby a Dragon Snake? And if CSX2416 is promoted as "one of the six Dragonsnakes ever built," which of the six now at www.shelbyford.com do we eliminate? Or do we increase the number built to seven?
Not being facetious here. Having sold CSX2019, the first of the two factory-campaigned Dragon Snakes, I no longer have a stake in maintaining the car's value. However, I still want to protect the integrity of the brand. FYI, see the attached ad for the correct "Dragon Snake" spelling. Just out of curiosity, did CSX2416 leave the factory with a hardtop, drag shocks, modified springs, slicks, and different size wheels front and rear? These are all part of the specs listed in the ad, and what makes a drag car a Dragon Snake.
I'm currently giving the ShelbyFord website a makeover. Would be helpful to include the most up-to-date info. You're the acknowledged authority. |
Hal, while the factory drag Cobras used specific similar options, the "Dragon Snake" concept allowed for some individualism when customers placed an order. Hence, different cars received varying equipment, and - since the Shelby American paperwork didn't always list specifics- it is impossible to know exactly which cars were equipped with what options, as in most cases they were not called out on the billing invoices.
2019 and 2357 were, as you know, factory race cars, and were sold used to their initial retail buyers, and 2093 was a converted street car. None of these three, therefore, ever had a factory invoice detailing precisely what equipment they were given. One might assume the equipment listed in the limited advertising for the Dragon Snake describes how the factory set up their own cars, but the customer cars were ordered individually and given whatever parts the customer wanted. And these differed between the cars.
Additionally, the sales invoices weren't at all consistent in how they called out the cars: 2248 was simply listed as a "Cobra Ford" with no mention of modified shocks, springs, or a hardtop; 2427 was simply called a "racer" at an inclusive price of $8695; and 2472 was called a "Drag Car" on the invoice, priced at $7,660.82, and equipped with the "Stage II" engine and Koni shocks. 2416 was invoiced as a "Cobra Ford" but with a Stage III 289 engine with Webers and a special cold air box and exhaust system. We would not have known it was a drag unit but for the internal build records, which detail the cost of building the "Frye's Ford drag car" and reflect a price substantially higher than that of a street car. (The internal build records for 2019 list it as a
PR car, 2248 has no notations at all beyond the costs, 2357 is listed as "Cobra Drag Car," 2427 is headed "Build Dragon snake for Richard Guise," and 2472 says "Build Hugas drag car." The 3198 record calls it a "Cobra Drag Unit.")
Even though we have no knowledge as to whether 2472 or 2416 were ever actually drag-raced, the factory records indicate that there were 6 small block Cobras built and sold as drag cars, i.e. Dragon Snakes, along with 1 427 example, and I think the website should reflect this fact.