Cobras, RIP?

[Tom T.]

I don't know many of you except by your posts, but still consider most of you to be friends, people I'd rather not see maimed (or worse) in a Cobra mishap. What happened to Lew the Taxman is sadly reminiscent of a number of stories I heard as a teenage car nut back in the 60's. We are all very lucky that he did not meet the same fate as the club member who was drag racing a few months ago. Most of you will recall the story about how the guys at Shelby back in the early days used to make bets on how long it would be before a 427 Cobra would come back in a crumpled heap, to be rebuilt if possible. Dark humor, indeed, but prophetic. You'll also recall that a fair number of racers met their end in those days, not surprising in view of the primitive safety equipment available to them.

My own story is that I sold my Contemporary largely because my wife was concerned that I was starting to go fast enough that a mistake, or mechanical failure, could have very serious implications. Yes, as in Lew's car, the roll bar was securely fastened, and I expect it would have held in a roll over. Realistically, however, there is little else to save you in these cars. Quoting in part from the waiver I required the buyer of my car to sign: "Vehicle is not a modern automobile and does not comply with or otherwise conform to state or federal laws and regulations, and contemporary standards of, automotive design and manufacture, including, without limitation, driver and passenger safety. Some examples of design and safety features Vehicle does not have include, without any limitation whatsoever: frontal and rear impact protection in the form of engineered collapsible and/or crumple zones, anti-intrusion steering column, anti-intrusion side impact door beams, supplemental restraint systems of any sort, including air bags, an inertia mechanism as a part of seat belt restraints, rollover protection for passenger, rollover protection for driver in conformance with the aforesaid laws, regulations, and contemporary standards, and any and all other safety features generally found in modern automobiles."
And that, my friends, is fact.

In my view, I'll never have skills or reflexes close to those professional drivers who have lost their lives; I daresay the same is true for most of you. Randy Klein, a gentleman whose intellect and abilities far exceed mine, gets it. The guy who stole his beloved Mariah didn't live more than a few minutes. Every time he hears of yet another serious incident, the pain and anguish revisits him, and he reaches out to all of us and begs us to pay attention.

It took a load off of my misplaced middle-aged macho-pretender mind when my wife told me how worried she was becoming. In truth, I had become increasingly concerned the faster I went. Yes, you can get yourself killed in just about any car. But the Cobra is particularly unforgiving.

For myself, I've made the commitment that when I get the next Cobra, GT40, or Coupe, it will have a full cage. I won't care whether people think the cage ruins the lines of the Cobra, in particular. I won't care at all.

Let's not give the insurance companies and tort lawyers any more ammunition to take our hobby away from us.

Please, be safe.

TT