rumor control--has SAAC lost its use of Shelby name?

[rms427]

I have been a member of a Cobra Club since 1968. First it was Cobra Owners Club of America. This was mainly a local Southern California Club. The members held events and drove their cars much like the Club Cobra members do now. This was an all volunteer organization. I remember cranking out the newsletters on a mimeograph machine. Many like myself used their cars as daily drivers. I left California in 1972 and I think the club disbanded about that time. Shelby Owners Association started up around that time and it morphed into SAAC. Now remember that there are a lot more than 1000 cars since SAAC always included all 1962-1970 Shelby cars. This includes Cobras, Shelby Mustangs, GT 40s and Tigers plus a few other cars that Shelby had some involvement with. Total cars produced was around 15,000. I just added up the numbers in the SAAC Registry.

SAAC certainly helped keep the interest up when many thought these were just old cars. This helped keep a lot of cars from the crusher. Shelby did little for the original owners after he stopped building the cars. Why should he? He was busy with other projects. I can remember when a Cobra owner back in the early 70' couldn't get a windshield for over a year. The replicas have been a blessing since they have made it possible to get relatively inexpensive parts. This allows guys like me to still drive the cars since I know if I break something I can find a part to fix it.

I certainly do not look down at replica owners. In fact I find it great that they use their cars like we did back in the early years before the cars became so valuable. I also know that some of the replicas are better built than the originals.

SAAC is still worthwhile for the owners of original cars and those that like to see the original cars. As far as I know replicas are welcome at SAAC events especially local SAAC club events. I took my car to Laguna Seca when Shelby was the honored mark and out of the 200 plus cobras in the cobra parking area there were only a handful of original cars.

It sounds like the new Team Shelby will be mainly for current Shelby products. SAAC is mainly for original Shelby cars and anyone interested in original cars (this includes most replica owners), Club Cobra is for all Cobras and GT 40s. Each has a place in the world. I would guess that most of the members of local SAAC clubs don't have original cars.

Since it doesn't sound like Team Shelby is planning local clubs I think SAAC is still relevant to many folks including replica owners. It certainly is important to the owners of original cars. Remember there are probably close the the same number of original cars now that there were back in the 1980s.

I plan on remaining a SAAC member if for no other reason than they keep up the documentation of original cars. I am also a member of the local SAAC club but haven't attended many events. Most of the events I have attended in the last few years have been with Club Cobra folks. As I stated earlier I find the Club Cobra events to be more like the ones we had back in the original cobra club. I enjoy the low key environment.

Have fun, Ray