Shelby little involvement in creating the Cobra

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by mhs6631

In 1964 I saw my 1st Cobra in person at a fair. The car was red with black interior. Nowhere on the car did it say Shelby. On the hood was an ac emblem and on the rear trunk lid. I believe it said 'powered by Ford' on each side. In searching car magazines to learn more about this beautiful creation, the term ac cobra was universally used to refer to the car. In 1968, my neighbor purchased a mustang shelby gt 500. It said shelby on the hood and trunk. I believe the mustangs were the 1st auto to be graced with the shelby name. Only years later did c. shelby proclaim the ac cobra to be henceforth called the shelby cobra-long after production ceased.

You're correct that the leaf spring cars for the US (CSX) did not say Shelby on them. They used one of three different Cobra emblems on the nose and boot and Powered By Ford on the sides. The COB and COX cars used AC emblems on the nose and boot and no Powered By Ford emblems. Early cars did not have A.C. Cars foot box tags, later leaf spring cars did have this tag.

427 Cobras had one of three foot box tags. The comp. and S/C models, along with some street cars, used foot box tags that read Manufactured by Shelby American Inc. (No snake emblem on the tag) The narrow hipped 427's as well as some mid-numbered cars used the same A.C. Cars tag as the leaf spring cars. The third plate used on most cars over CSX3300 included the 1967 style coiled snake on the Manufactured by Shelby American Inc. plate. Some early 427's unsold by late 1966 were "updated" to '67 models with new VIN plates.
So it is the 427 Cobras that first displayed the Shelby American name.