Nice Write Up About Shelby

[Historybuff]

In converstions with Pete Brock, I understood that Brock didn't like the GT40 guys (the engineers from Detroit with crew cuts, thin ties, white shirts, slide rules) coming to Shelby American and pushing the Cobra aside. He was resentful at Shelby for not letting them develop the Daytona more, such as cancelling the big block coil spring Daytona coupe


They crossed swords again when Brock had a contract with Toyota lined up but Shelby swooped in and snatched it from him to create the 2000GT racing program.

So Brock strted BRE, building hang gliders, etc. and eventually did do a race car for Toyota, which is still sort of a little know secret.


But Shelby did call him back decades later to do a Chrysler powered Can Am car. So Shelby does have a tendency to call back those whose talents he recognizes.

Then they fell afoul of each other again when Brock did the Daytona kit car for
South Africa. Shelby blocked the first one coming in, feeling he owned the rights to the Daytona coupe. Eventually the cars got into the U.S. but, after the factory owner applied for a license from Shelby, the coupes are sold as Shelby coupes, no longer as "Brock coupes."

And so it goes, the story gets retold albeit with frequent revisions to history done form a 2008 point of view. I would rather go by what was said at specific points in time for how the feelings were at that particular point in time. I think the Daytona coupe had its flaws but you can't argue that it drove the 250GTO off the track and thus accomplished its purpose. And I haven't read the article yet, but think the new editor at HOT ROD is doing some exciting things with the magazine--he may be the best editor at Petersen.