Out of curiosity, I decided to look up Ann Abidin to see if I could find anything online with the thought that the assumed sort of woman who would have the means and motivation to buy a new Cobra in 1963 and then give it to her son to go racing would be likely to have had at least something interesting or significant enough in her lifetime that it would remain on record.
Here's what I found in a casual search:
- No internet record of an Ann Abidin from that time period.
- Her listed address on the documents that Ned shared with us; 8041 Galena St. Riverside, Ca. shows no such person in the list of current and former owners.
https://rehold.com/Riverside+CA/GALENA+ST/8041
- I did find an Albert N. Abidin (1941 - 2014) whose name and timeframe would match that of Ann's son who she reportedly gave the Cobra to listed as the early owner of
8025 Galena St. in Riverside.
https://rehold.com/Riverside+CA/GALENA+ST/8025
- 8025 (along with the other houses in the area) is a relatively "humble" looking residence for a gentleman racer of a Shelby Cobra even for 1963.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/80...4d-117.4583688
- Note that Lanse Haselrig coincidentally shows
4640 Kansas Ave, Riverside, CA in Riverside as his address at the time of his purchase of the wreck from Ann..
Questions:
- Why is there no paper record of the original sale of 2049 in 1963?
- Why did Paul Cunningham's widow have an old AC Ace chassis chassis in her garage that also appears to have had the key identification sections cut out? Bearing in mind that family members testify she was given that chassis by an SAI employee. (It's also been noted here that Carol Connors had a wrecked Ace which may have ended up at SAI.)
- Could she have attempted to regain possession of her husband's Cobra chassis and been handed this fake by "someone at SAI", either in error or in order to appease her after the original chassis had already been sold/parted out?
- Why would anyone go to great lengths to buy a totalled wreck of a Cobra back in 1964 or 1967?
- Why is Cunningham repeatedly and overwhelmingly shown as both entrant and driver in all of the race records I have found online? No mention whatsoever of any Ann or Albert Abidin.
My own wild speculation 
:
Something is seriously missing/suspect about the currently accepted early ownership history of CSX2049 and based on USC_COWBOY's candid and sincere testimonials (including sharing the undoubtably disappointing reply from AC about the Ace chassis), I tend to believe that there may well be some real substance to his assertion that Paul Cunningham did indeed own the car. I could be wrong though, but I'm definitely not otherwise convinced.