Shelby little involvement in creating the Cobra

[1985 CCX]

Trevor
You are right that AC was profitable but I have read it was in other areas of business not cars. Correct me please....

Tom,
Someday we will write about KMS, and yes there are a great number of people involved at making the company a success, however you will get the credit as your family pulled it all together starting in Poland, then Utah, then your facility and hopefully one in my garage some day.

CS did surround himself with talent but I would argue so do all successful ventures/business men and women. CS was the Team Leader thus the credit goes to him. Sal is right, without CS in the day we all may be writing about the Rover powered ACE.

[What'saCobra?]

i just love that winos under the River Thames Bridge thang...

For me Shel's ungrateful insult remains the complete essence of a full combo plate of sour grapes, upper-West Side un-nuanced jutzpah and tempting the fickle finger of fate. The Herlocks trusted CS and invested in his idea(s) with faith and hope for the results. To insult the chaps was more than a little unforgiving; since without their personal financial support, excellent engineering and foundational chassis-set shipped on credit, poor as a pissoir CS would have gone nowhere as a health-limited former Championship driver with an rather common for the times idea.

It took CS the better part of nearly 50 years to get an aly engine in that "ox-cart" thing and it still doesn't have DOHC, FI, variable timing, stratified charging, etc, etc. Of course, history doesn't require it, but remember nominal history didn't include an aly block either. But, that's where Miles, Shelby and others really wanted FORD to spend their money, certainly NOT on that iron lump homologated for NASCAR and NHRA. But, who payeth the fiddler, calleth the engineth or some such ditty.
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Ps: one man's banality is another man's joie de vivre. Think of the comparison as a low temperature subset of Terrorist v Patriot. Of course, it helps if you were there at the time, but it certainly isn't necessary for either enjoyment or comprehension. One man's banality might be another's rewarding inquiry. Cannot imagine reading something i wouldn't enjoy or appreciate reading. For instance, one man's droll criticism might be another's wet blanket.