[What'saCobra?]

Excal:
I suspect, but cannot afirm, that the Shelby American Automobile Club, means Shelby-American (as in Shelby American, Inc.) Automobile Club, rather than an American club, but only the founding owners could sort out that sophistry with any authority, keeping in mind that perspectives and admissions change over time and prevailing winds. You might recall that for a long while Shel was seriously disrespecful of SAAC, much to his own neglect and those that love all the cars as much as we do. He gave them lots of grief and sabre-rattled more than once that they were stepping on "his" logos, trademarks and authored ideas. Usually, they tried to be polite and sort of ignore him, which mostly worked.

During those wilderness years, SAAC created, perhaps quite innocently, the mind-set began that ALL the cars were SA, which the several well-steeped authors herein have shown to be not so, as all original 289's were kept, data plated, sold and documented by SA as AC Cars, Ltd. sourced.

You can start a Britisher AC registry, if you wish, but that is already in the very good but woefully underfunded hands of the AC Car Club who wish to keep good relations with the factory, but the factory under Mr. L hasn't been as helpful with documentation as would be desired. Personally, I don't know enough to make a business of it. I would prefer to aid and assist the faithful followers of the current issues and cars to learn the richness of what else exists within the logical purview of the cars origins, progenitors, siblings and postgenitors alike.

Trev:
No rebuke intended, old girl. You are certainly correct that limiting and limited assurances were made, though not in writing to my knowledge. I cannot know what BA may have said to Charlie, but don't doubt that Charlie felt that way, if you say so. Ask him where his twin turbo went, say hello and I hope to see him win again at Sebring.

Perhaps you can review your factory documentation and help ID what specification changes were made after the first 18ish. It would be most helpful to know the exact changes or at least a few, if any. I am separately told there are none of merit, except for car to car buyer variances (anti-roll bars, ratios, etc), but not with absolute authority. One concession was the inclusive documentation regarding MKIV Lightweight nomenclature for the later cars. And you are correct that the value of those first units fell like a stone. A few of the later went for less than £55K out the door with Mathwal 345HP 302's.

But, you have now introduced another new concept and termed it, "production-line" models for any Lightweights after the 18th-ish. (By the way, we keep saying ish, your word, because no one has any absolute idea of what was committed, since it wasn't in writing, unless I am misinformed.)

Now, you and I know just exactly how ALL Brian's cars were made onesey twosey and one word that makes no sense at all at Brooklands regarding any Cobras is the concept of "production-line." No such thing ever existed as each Cobra was surely a one-off at a time. We wish such a thing could have happened, because they might still be in existance. Perhaps the simple term of "later cars" is sufficient? I only harp a wee dram on this because of the confusion already existing about all these and similar issues on the multitudinous 427 versions over here.

Early last year, "AC Works" Frimley could not even produce one net Cobra per month for sure, despite promising to deliver two per month to Price, et al (although cash /credit problems didn't help.) They have claimed to have all the same tooling, etc. But, Brooklands under Brian could produce/sell about 40 Cobras per year or so, just over 3 per month. I think they could build more, but couldn't sell them, as you point out.

Please recall again that the tiny, cramped and leaky Thames Ditton Works, under the olde Hurlocks produced just over 1000 Cobras from 62 to 67, about 170 per year or just over 15 arithmetic average per month (only about 65 total in 1962). The old guys weren't that dumb, were they?

As you might know, the Lightweight shipping weight was 2350 £'s. I scaled one personally on certified aircraft scales at 2360 with about 1/3 fuel and full street trim, battery, tonneau, no spare tire, emergency tool kit, wind wings, etc. I suppose you could take off 50 £'s of steel bumpers, drain the petrol, swap out for a lite battery and get the car scaled for under 2300. That is pretty light including a serious but streetable 351 Windsor with a 3550HD Tremmec. With boy racer trim, it would be around 2200.

Super Hawaii Company, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107, Japan ordered 20 or so Lightweights as a buyer's group in 1991 and that was perhaps the largest single production order which was built, but it was completely refused by the buyers when the Yen/Japan crashed and Brian rightly kept their £20K deposits for each. Again, they were sold off onesey twosey until gone. We should have bot them all, oi?

Your "noted" American author sounds like sour grapes, short fused and given to rather broad generalities. We hardly have "shuttered shores" when we import more of everything in the world than anyone else in the world, import tax it at far, far less rates and routinely stand by quietly as "fortress Eyrope" taxes the behind off our imports to THEIR precious country.

Any "shuttered minds" in the USA are firstly led by our zombie lock-step members of the Fourth Estate (press) who become more irrelevant by the day as they lie and otherwise obfuscate their liberal path to perdition. However, if the SAAC has such a mindset, it may be a necessary adjunct to their recently improved and continued relationship with CS, their membership growth and their car holdings?

You are certainly correct that folks get pretty riled up when you start proving what is so, rather than what they hope is so. I don't much blame you for avoiding the serial number documentation issue, but you have no liabilities, only documenting what was told and some of it is in conflict, perhaps forever. A briefest and most cursory glance at the registry of SAAC reveals lots of conflict in facts and dates, even on the later cars. Such fun.

Thanks for the inputs and responses. This is surely an interesting set of notes we are creating for those who care.
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Aside regarding duplicate serial numbers:

For instance, more McLaren M6B's are racing today than were ever built. Lots of duplicates exist, so a buyer should beware and determine the provenance with a trail of documented owners. Most don't bother, since they are buying the McLaren at a "wonderful" price, compared to the rediculous overpricing of some of the (real) cars. Ask Charlie.
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Remember:
Experience is all we sometimes get when we don't get what we paid for (or at least expected).