07-17-2009, 09:44 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: New Jersey,
N.J
Cobra Make, Engine: Shelby Cobra CSX4206 aluminum body, original 1965 NASCAR 427 SO, Dual quads.
Posts: 3,897
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Not Ranked
The fact that Shelby ditched the AC bonnet tags and relabeled them without the "AC" moniker is not rewriting history unless all the books I've read on Shelby have rewritten it by uniformly noting this "fact". All the books written by American authors clearly seem to favor and give greater weight to the Shelby part of the story and refer to the car as the "Shelby" Cobra. Books authored by British writers conversely seem to favor the "AC" part of the story and almost uniformly give Shelby second billing and refer to the car as the AC Cobra.
I can't speak for what went on outside the LA basin back in 1965 as I lived in N.J. and was riding my purple Schwin 5 speed with a banana seat, watched Speed Racer and Batman and wasn't concerned that much with what people on the west coast were doing. I can say that from guys I have spoken too that were old enough to remember the Cobras here on the East coast they almost all refer to the them as Shelby Cobras.
Fact is without Shelby there would be no Cobra whether AC based or otherwise. AC was the base selected. They were in the right place at the right time with a chasis that worked. If AC was not chosen perhaps another base would have been used.
Back in the 60's all that existed were the original series. Back then no one even dreamed of circumstances that would have Shelby restarting his company again and building his Cobras again, albeit now sourced elsewhere 40 years after his doors closed in 1968.
I'm not sure what is meant by Johnny come lately wantabees but many who grew up dreaming of Cobras back in the 60's and early 70's who were the buyers of the 90's into today were kids back then and could only dream and read about these cars in magazines.
The price, limited number and collectibility of originals put them out of reach of many except the very wealthy or lucky few who owned theirs since the 60's,70's or 80's. The Completion series was attempt at selling newly bodied ORIGINAL chasis at prices under that of an original bodied car.
Whatsacobra mixes apples and oranges. The COMPLETION series was problematic not over whether they were genuine or real Cobras. That was NOT the issue. The buyers thought they were getting an ORIGINAL chasis NOT Mclusky chasis. The flap was over whether they were original chasis.
Continuation series are identical to the completion series only the Continuation series is advertised as having a newly manufactured chasis to the same original specs.
The distinction today is original vs. continuation series not real vs. genuine. Real vs. genuine are synomous. Both series are real/genuine cobras. One is of the original series and the Continuation series is not. Lets not intentionally try to confuse things by trying now to differentiate between to synonyms shall we. Sheesh. The originals are simply distinguished from the because they are the original series. Its that simple.
I don't know what SAAC considers the AC continuation Cobras. I would certainly consider them real Cobras.
Patrickt: Razors point is on point. The general public may not know the difference between a FFR and a Kirkham but the universe of knowledgable buying public does. Two different groups. When Shelbys sell for $50K to $100K or more then a non Shelby that would seem to indicate that the buyer doesn't see the car as a mere replica but something substantially more.
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Last edited by REAL 1; 07-17-2009 at 09:55 PM..
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