Shelby little involvement in creating the Cobra

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by Joe's Garage

The AC Cobra was a financial failure that led Ford and Carroll Shelby to discontinue importing cars from England in 1967. AC Cars kept producing the coil-spring AC Roadster with narrow fenders, a small block Ford 289 and called the car the AC 289. It was built and sold in Europe until late 1969. AC also produced the AC 428 until 1973. The AC Frua was built on a stretched Cobra 427 MK III coil spring chassis using a very angular steel body designed and built by Pietro Frua. With the demise of the 428 and succeeding 3000ME, AC shut their doors in 1984 and sold the AC name to a Scottish company.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Cobra

All well and good, but that was AFTER the Cobra was created by Carroll Shelby, and it was my understanding this thread was about Shelby's involvement in that creation, not subsequent events.

[Joe's Garage]

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

All well and good, but that was AFTER the Cobra was created by Carroll Shelby, and it was my understanding this thread was about Shelby's involvement in that creation, not subsequent events.

Why don't you go back and read the original post along with the linked info.
"AFTER the Cobra was created by Caroll Shelby"? Try again, the Cobra was created by AC and Shelby with nearly all of the engineering done by AC -

AC: Chassis & Suspension
AC: Body
AC: Engine Bay
Shelby: Engine & Transmission

That is why AC gets most of the credit for the Cobra, they designed it. Also worth repeating, it was not Shelby's idea to put a V8 in the AC roadster, this had already been done by the Brits in '57. All Shelby did was take that idea and get funding to run a limited production of it in the states 5 years later.

Also note (as LMH ponts out), in '63 AC's Cobra finished 7th at Le Mans, Shelby American finished 65th.

[db replicas]

Originally Posted by Joe's Garage

AC: Chassis & Suspension
AC: Body
AC: Engine Bay
Shelby: Engine & Transmission

I thought Ford supplied the engine and transmission. ????
Just sayin' ;-)



Wasn't the GT40 built by Lola.... in England?
Wasn't the 427's chassis/suspension designed by Ford?

I am happy to be corrected as my information comes mostly from the Internet :-(

Shelby was a persuasive facilitator and marketing guy.
His grand plan was not a lot different from many others at the time. Except, he ended up on the top of the pile.
Endless promotion and hype..... its the American way ;-)