[Excaliber]

I just think AC would be an unknown/also ran today in general terms had it not been for the Shelby influence.

Good race car? Great race car? The difference could the preparation of the team at the time of the race! For it's class I would qualify the AC Cobra 289 cars as "great".

I recall (as a young man) how much I really loved to see the Jag XKE's and the Vettes run at a Road Course in Portland Oregon. I also remember the great disappointment in the performance of both of those marques during the competition. My illusions of "awesone performance" were shattered. The Jaguars often had the open differential and would burn the inside tire coming around the tight turns. And yet the Vettes would be hard pressed to catch them in the corners anyway!!! Early to mid 60's.

Well prepared smaller cars were beating both of them on the tight twisty course!

I never got to see an AC run there, bummer!