Anybody lining up for the new Shelby Cobra?

[1ntCobra]

Well I guess you cannot expect things to remain the same all of the time. The pictures I posted of the aluminum body/frames in Vegas were from 2006. So that must have been the arrangement at the time, when Amy was still there.

You say, "Currently, Shelby has bought several rollers from us." Several does not sound like a lot. Have they switched to just buying rollers now and that is a recent change? Or do you just occasionally sell them rollers and still supply them with just frame/body for the typical case?

Originally Posted by David Kirkham

That depends entirely upon the roller. Who did what to whom changed dramatically over the years.

The roller that is pictured currently on Shelby's website for the 50th Anniversary 427

Shelby American Inc. - 50th Anniversary 427 Cobra

was built almost entirely by Kirkham. We even made the Shelby badged hub caps, steering emblem, brake pedal arm, and clutch pedal arm. Other than the logo, all parts are essentially the same as what we make on our current rollers.

We have been working a long, long time with Shelby as of late. Joe Conway, the CEO of Shelby, has been great to work with and is deeply committed to improving Shelby quality and delivery. I wish Joe had taken over long ago. Joe has Keith Belair, CFO, running day to day right now. Keith is also deeply committed to improving quality and delivery. Bill DenBeste, Shelby dealer, is deeply committed to improving quality and delivery. Whenever we have offered them a choice of parts they always go for top-shelf items.



We have not sent an aluminum frame and body to South Africa for many years. That said, Jimmy Price has always been very nice to deal with.

Currently, Shelby has bought several rollers from us. The latest Shelby's from us all have our suspension (and just about everything else). The above 427 50th has our latest billet suspension.

All motor mounts in our cars have always been in the same place. We do not make different frames for Shelby (or anyone else)--unless it is a very specific, custom chassis. We have had customers request V-12 set ups and all sorts of things over the years.




Chris is one of my twin sons (who both work here). They both did indeed work on that roller. I am extremely proud of both of them. They are working on becoming programmers. They jumped straight into our latest project of programming our new 8 axis robot with a laser. It is state-of-the-art.



Hmmm...this is tricky to answer. Many Kirkham and Shelby parts (mostly suspension) of the past SHOULD be interchangeable in theory. In practice they have sometimes fallen short. In the past Shelby used George Petrus parts (George was a very nice man and unfortunately, he is now in the big race track in the sky). George was very liberal in his view of originality (among other things) and his original parts were/are a difficult interchange with original parts.



Yes, we still do for those customers who want them. In the past, those customers have almost exclusively been Shelby. But, as I said above, Joe Conway of Shelby is deeply committed to using as high a quality of parts as he can find and they made the switch to the Kirkham billet suspension with us a bit ago.

Happy to answer questions,

David

[David Kirkham]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

You say, "Currently, Shelby has bought several rollers from us." Several does not sound like a lot. Have they switched to just buying rollers now and that is a recent change? Or do you just occasionally sell them rollers and still supply them with just frame/body for the typical case?

I don't mean to be short, but we supply what they order. I really don't know all their future plans.

David

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by David Kirkham

I don't mean to be short, but we supply what they order. I really don't know all their future plans.

David

That's OK. I suspect that Shelby probably doesn't want too many details about what they buy from you getting out anyway.

[David Kirkham]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

That's OK. I suspect that Shelby probably doesn't want too many details about what they buy from you getting out anyway.

Actually they are very open about it. Joe has worked very hard to change the culture at Shelby from riding on their laurels to one of constant improvement. I'm sure they are constantly looking for better suppliers. We have to stay on the top of our game with Joe and Keith. They aren't shy about demanding higher quality and better delivery times.

David

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by David Kirkham

Actually they are very open about it. Joe has worked very hard to change the culture at Shelby from riding on their laurels to one of constant improvement. I'm sure they are constantly looking for better suppliers. We have to stay on the top of our game with Joe and Keith. They aren't shy about demanding higher quality and better delivery times.

David

Interesting. In the past, I thought of the Shelby aluminum cars as having a distinction from the Kirkham cars in a number of ways, obviously one of those things is the Shelby brand, but there were other difference too, like the original style suspension, a really nice paint job and some amount of assembly done in Vegas. Now it seems a bit less different than a Kirkham if they arrive in Vegas as Kirkham rollers with Kirkham billet suspension and only need to be painted, add some Shelby badges and weld a plate over the Kirkham number with a CSX number.

Now I can definitely see people asking, why pay so much more than the base price of a Kirkham for a Shelby. But then again, there are a lot of options available from Kirkham and they can add up really fast. The price of a well optioned Kirkham can be significantly higher than the base price. Perhaps we can think of the Shelby product as a well optioned Kirkham with a really nice paint job and the Shelby brand name. And I think we know that Shelby has customer out there willing to pay their price.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Now I can definitely see people asking, why pay so much more than the base price of a Kirkham for a Shelby.

Correcto. Give this man a cigar.

There is no time machine, so we can't go back to the 1960's. In the Year 2015, IMO, will the modern Shelby brand continue to have the same cachet, especially with Mr. Shelby no longer with us?

Since I'm a "diamond district" kinda person, I didn't, and still don't, see the brand in recent years as having the same prestige or status. But I don't own anything with the name Cartier on it either.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Correcto. Give this man a cigar.

There is no time machine, so we can't go back to the 1960's. In the Year 2015, IMO, will the modern Shelby brand continue to have the same cachet, especially with Mr. Shelby no longer with us?

Since I'm a "diamond district" kinda person, I didn't, and still don't, see the brand in recent years as having the same prestige or status. But I don't own anything with the name Cartier on it either.

So are the new Ferarris less desirable with Enzo gone?

[NewYorkGuy]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Correcto. Give this man a cigar.

There is no time machine, so we can't go back to the 1960's. In the Year 2015, IMO, will the modern Shelby brand continue to have the same cachet, especially with Mr. Shelby no longer with us?
D

No, for car guys 40 years or younger, shelby is associated with mustangs

too bad Mr. Shelby's children didn't take over the business.

buy a kirkham and spend the other $80-$90K savings on mary kay jewelry

[REAL 1]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Interesting. In the past, I thought of the Shelby aluminum cars as having a distinction from the Kirkham cars in a number of ways, obviously one of those things is the Shelby brand, but there were other difference too, like the original style suspension, a really nice paint job and some amount of assembly done in Vegas. Now it seems a bit less different than a Kirkham if they arrive in Vegas as Kirkham rollers with Kirkham billet suspension and only need to be painted, add some Shelby badges and weld a plate over the Kirkham number with a CSX number.

Now I can definitely see people asking, why pay so much more than the base price of a Kirkham for a Shelby. But then again, there are a lot of options available from Kirkham and they can add up really fast. The price of a well optioned Kirkham can be significantly higher than the base price. Perhaps we can think of the Shelby product as a well optioned Kirkham with a really nice paint job and the Shelby brand name. And I think we know that Shelby has customer out there willing to pay their price.

Your question is still easily answered as to why people are still paying more for a Shelby. Shelby's have always sold for a premium over AC's. Then and now.

While the early Continuation Cobras underwent mods by Shelby to bring them to damn near exact original spec as far as brakes, suspension and other details beyond a base Kirkham and now perhaps they are just shuffled through for paint and badges (supporting one reason for my statement that the early Shelbys are more desirable then the current crop) even now the parallel is still there.

AC Cobras and Shelby Cobras in 289 or 427 were identical as far as I know except for badging (if someone knows different please educate me) and Shelbys sold for a premium then and a larger premium today.

Its the fact of being a "Shelby" and having that pedigree.

If todays generation does not have an interest in these cars and won't in the future expect the value of all to drop including the original cars whose drop will be more precipitous. Other cars from the same era will suffer the same fate.

Question, if Porsche decided to bring back the 550 Spyder in its exact original form and configuration would it be a "replica" of the original series. What about Ferrari with the original Testarosa? Or Lamborghini with the Miura?

[NewYorkGuy]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

Question, if Porsche decided to bring back the 550 Spyder in its exact original form and configuration would it be a "replica" of the original series. What about Ferrari with the original Testarosa? Or Lamborghini with the Miura?

no them days are over. by year 2025, all USA cars must meet 54 MPG

next generation (40 years old and under) will not line up for a new shelby cobra $180K chassis but they will pay $500K for a used ford GT

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

Question, if Porsche decided to bring back the 550 Spyder in its exact original form and configuration would it be a "replica" of the original series. What about Ferrari with the original Testarosa? Or Lamborghini with the Miura?

That's easy. They would be "replicas". Assuming we're living in a dreamworld of course and Porsche and Ferrari would build their replicas. But they wouldn't, even if they could.

As David Kirkham said, Shelby has ordered at least the 50th anniversary series as re-badged Kirkhams, because the folks running Shelby now want the best for their product, which includes the Kirkham billet aluminum suspension.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

Question, if Porsche decided to bring back the 550 Spyder in its exact original form and configuration would it be a "replica" of the original series. What about Ferrari with the original Testarosa? Or Lamborghini with the Miura?

That's a fair question perhaps for another thread, but I say whether they are termed replicas or not they'll have the place in history as a later generation of the car and therefore the "Value" would be in direct proportion to thier history.

CSX4 series rebirth is the history of a man/company who rested on their laurels while Kirkham of the same vintage went passed them.

I agree your insertion that at least with the 4000series they stayed true to the purist, and therefore the product more desirable to them. However with this being a small and shrinking market, the new mob running Shelby seemingly NOT dumb, have got to move to increase market share... Or???
What else could they do?