Why doesn't Shelby American???

mr bruce · #1 (**permalink**) 04-21-2004, 11:14 AM

Just buy rollers in a box from Kirkhams, for $20K, assemble, affix CSX numbers, sell as many as the K bros can build?

GeorgiaSnake · #2 (**permalink**) 04-21-2004, 12:26 PM

My first guess - they couldn't make any $$ doing that at $20K.

Sceond guess - they want to be in the retail business not manufacturing.

Third guess - they will be in business long after CS is not.

Randy

csx700? · #3 (**permalink**) 04-21-2004, 02:14 PM

hey even better! why doesn't kirkham buy the "sai" "csx" or whatever rights they need to to call it a shelby cobra? that way the customer will get what they pay for to begin with, a quality product!

HIQ · #4 (**permalink**) 04-21-2004, 02:37 PM

SAI is in pretty deep with their CAV $39K project and the issues they have had. If they had it to do over again.........

Slither · #5 (**permalink**) 04-21-2004, 03:33 PM

csx700?, do you really think that SAI would sell their rights to anything to Kirkham? Met a friend of yours, John!

csx700? · #6 (**permalink**) 04-21-2004, 03:45 PM

i don't really know since "sai" does NOT stand for "SHELBY AMERICAN Inc." anymore. i believe it's now "Shelby Automobiles Inc."!

The Deacon · #7 (**permalink**) 04-25-2004, 10:28 PM

Guys....

I am with whoever said that SAI (Shelby American or Shelby Automobiles Inc?) would NEVER sell the rights to SAI or CSX to Kirkham. But you see it is just not Kirkham, it would be the same for anyone. If Carroll ever sold the rights to the CSX or whatever to anyone, that would mean the end to Shelby and any hold it might have on the world of Cobra. SAI and Carroll would have to be completely looney to ever sell those rights.. While it is true that there are other "quality" products on the market, nothing, but nothing has the history, quality, and mystic of a Shelby. Anyone disagree???

The Deacon...

Slither · #8 (**permalink**) 04-25-2004, 11:03 PM

The Deacon is right! I couldn't agree more. Carroll Shelby knows exactly what he is doing and why he's doing it!

BlueRooster · #9 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 04:24 AM

Have any of the CSX/CAVs been finished yet? I cant wait to see one of them.
Does anyone know how many are back ordered?

Actually, Slither I dont think CS knows exactly what he is doing. In the past 5 years he has sued many in the replica industry, and lost. He has gotten back into bed with old enemies, it seems just to piss off the people who he has sued. How many different Cobra projects going on at once? 4 or 5? It just seems odd. He's working harder now than he was when he had the energy to work this hard. Flinging crap on the wall and seeing what sticks is not a business plan...it desperation.

But, I cant wait to see what the CAVs look like. I've seen Evans(Real1) and it is a beautiful car. Hopefully the glass ones are just as nice.

Dane

Slither · #10 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 09:05 AM

BlueRooster, I think the new CAV/$42,500 cars are the results of the CS losses and fighting in court. He couldn't put the replica manufacturers out of business legally, so he decided to go head to head with them. The new CAV cars are back ordered until at least November, I am told. Even though CS is 81 years old now, he is still fighting for what he believes in. He shudders and has a comment when he sees a replica with a COBRA badge on it. I have seen him do it.

rdorman · #11 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 09:31 AM

Guys, Shelby is what, 82? He may never sell the rights, but who is to say what will happen after he is gone?
Rick

SL · #12 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BlueRooster

Have any of the CSX/CAVs been finished yet? I cant wait to see one of them.
Does anyone know how many are back ordered?

Dane

when the Shelby guys were at the Knott's show, I asked the salesman if these were the cars, they had CSX 4758 (I think) on display that were being made in South Africa.. He said that "South Africa is out of the picture," and cars are now going to be produced in Nevada.

candyman · #13 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 11:25 AM

Will anyone from Shelby confirm this!

BlueRooster · #14 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 11:38 AM

Slither, 10 years ago...Ive heard that CS would sign the glovebox of any replica put in front of him. He wasnt shuddering then. Now the replica business is a behemoth, and he wants in. Again, lets see what sticks.

Slither · #15 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 12:17 PM

BlueRooster, you are right again. He will sign anything, for a fee, for his Children's Foundation.

RedCSX1 · #16 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 03:59 PM

I will confirm that they are indeed being built in LasVegas. No one including me has gotten their Cobra yet. To save money they are using the local prison system as a sub-contractor which has better welders than in SA, or so I assume. But then they have years to perfect their skill. I was told that it will take 5 weeks to paint my Cobra. The last word I got was sometime in July! I am at the point where I might consider other options if they cannot give me proof that they are indeed building my Cobra.

Morgan

csx700? · #17 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 04:15 PM

Bluerooster
i will have to agree with you one hundred percent about shelby building kit cars, that's what they are. he sells a third rate product at a first rate price. "sai" touts the cars are constructed with the same materials or better than the originals, now i will be the first to admit "lucas" does not have the greatest reputation when it comes to electrical components but at least they are original and not the taiwan crap that "sai" is using now. anyone with a "sai" 4000, 7000 or 8000 series cars look at your tail lights they're supposed to say "lucas" and a part number even most replicas supply replica lights with this logo on them. that's just one example of taiwanese supplied parts used on "sai" vehicles. as far as shelby signing items for money for the foundation............i won't even get into that!
REDCSX1 good luck, i think you'll need it ( i don't think "sai" used prisoners to build cars in the '60s either, seems to be some kind of trend here, cheap parts + cheap labor = C.S. )

p.s. i will have to say that the components that kirkham supplies to "sai" for thier aluminum cars are first rate and of a very high quality.

BlueRooster · #18 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 04:42 PM

Slither, I dont think I am right or wrong. Its just an observation. At his core, Shelby is a race car driver, a race car builder, a guy that is always pushing the envelope to break racing and speed records, and to build cars that defy the norm. To go faster using parts that are state of the art, or by using state of the art thinking to create something from nothing. Thats is the way I picture him. Now, today, these roadsters are not state of the art. They are not winning any races, they are not pushing any envelope. They were abandoned by him a generation ago and up until a little over 10 years ago he could have cared less about who made a replica of one of these cars. He would have taken pictures in front of it, signed it, whatever. So Slither, I dont care to be right or wrong, I just wish that the guy that I looked up to as a kid wasnt in the replica business/looking backwards, but in the groundbreaking, envelope pushing, race car business/looking forward. That is the way I want to remember the guy. That is where we need guys like CS.

BlueRooster · #19 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 04:58 PM

G.R. · #20 (**permalink**) 04-26-2004, 05:57 PM

And what is so wrong that he charges a fee today for his autograph? When he passes away, those that in the last few years paid the fee to Caroll Shelby as a donation to his Childrens Foundation for his autograph may well find they have a piece of automotive memorabilia in their possesion be it hat, book, shirt, dash , glovebox or what have you.

He is part of the automotive legend and history, in my opinion ranked with the greats like Enzo Ferraii, Ferdinand Porsche, Henry Ford and the great race drivers past and present. As a driver won Le Mans, as a manufacturer, builder, team owner/director was and still is the only American to win the FIA World manufactuers title. No small feat.

You may like him or disagree with him and his business practices, but in my opinion he still deserves respect for his accomplishments.

Maybe he should have patented the Cobra body style, maybe he shouldn't have turned the Logo over to Ford. But how was he to know that for some reason it would become an automotive icon in the last 15-30 years, sought after by collectors of the original ones and built as replicas? In the same position what would you have done? The cars were outmoded, out of date, not competitive anymore. Race cars that were in todays world ,given away, for the price asked when they were sold off, yet at the time paid the bills. Could you honestly say you could have forseen the replica industry? And as it started, think it was nothing more than a passing fad amongst autophiles, ala the VW dune buggies? So what if he is going to build low-cost(for SAI) Cobras in 'glas at a price competitive with the others. I wish him success. Again my opinion only.

But do give the 'ol man his due respect. This place could very well be Club Gremlin or something