Did the Cobra exist before Carroll Shelby visited AC?

[Hal Copple]

there have been any number of new, innovative designs that about broke their manufactureror at least brought ridicule. Like the '36 Chrysler Aero, the hideous early Consiliers, the Axtec, and others.

I have no problem with Evan pointing out to the rest of us that the "Cobra" was CS's iteration of the AC.

But while i think the 289 and FIA cars have the most handsome of all the snouts of the Cobra cars, even more so than the S/C's, if AC had shipped over this nose on their bodies to CS to install motors, would the world, and us, think that Cobra's are so incredibly handsome, even after 40 years?

The nose on John's pic above is pretty obnoxious, but the more oval one on the Cobra's is vastly more handsome. Whoever decided to pound on the front aluminum sure did the right thing.

John's pic of the AC sure shows (to me) a humble, homely car. Nothing something to build a legend on.