Bill Cosby's "200 M.P.H."

boblyon1 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 11:10 AM

Most Cobra owners are Cobra history buffs and know that Shelby produced two 800 bhp 427 "Supersnakes" (CSX3015 & CSX3303), each with a twin Paxton supercharger and a Ford C-6 auto tranny. Additionally, most know that the second Supersnake was built for Bill Cosby. Rumor has it that Cosby took his wife on the maiden drive, stomped it and lost control. He then returned the car to Shelby. (A subsequent owner of CSX3303 drove it off a cliff into the ocean and paid the ultimate price.)

What some may not know is that Cosby developed a stand-up comedy routine, "200 M.P.H." about his experience with his Cobra. You can go to a number of Internet sites and listed to this monolog. By downloading the Rhapsody player from the rolling stone website:

http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/...965707/200_mph

I was able to listen to the sketch free. Suggest you advance the player to about 10 minutes into the routine where the Cobra story starts. Enjoy.

289fia_cobra · #2 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:25 PM

Bob, in the skit, I believe he indicated his daughter was in the car, not the wife. I could be wrong but I'll listen again becasue it IS very entertaining to watch.

KeithBrown · #3 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:31 PM

I may be wrong, but am pretty sure I saw CSX3015 when I visted the Shelby Gardenia facility a few years back. DOes that ring a bell or am I just plain wrong - again.

Ron61 · #4 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:34 PM

Some time ago on the Tonight show, Cosby and Jay Leno were talking about the $5.% million that the Super snake brought at the auction. Bill did a few lines of that skit and in it he did say his daughter and how bad the car was shaking. I have listened to it several times and it is one of my favorites. But then, Bill Cosby has always been one of the best I think.

Ron

Clayboy · #5 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 01:14 PM

One of the places you can listen to it is on the ERA website. I hadn't heard it for a number of years and just found it last week on their site.
Bob

Category 5 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 02:04 PM

here's one link to it.

http://www.erareplicas.com/427/mpg/billcosby_200mph.mp3

jason

Tom Wells · #7 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 02:13 PM

If it's still there, here's the Cosby/Leno interview after Shelby sold the car at auction for 5.5 million. If anything, I think this bit is funnier than the 200 miles per hour one...

http://s164.photobucket.com/albums/u...AboutCobra.flv

Enjoy,

Tom

PS: Couldn't ignore the quote by Shelby when Cosby asked Shelby about why the car had an automatic:

Quote:

Why row a boat when you can get one with a motor?

boblyon1 · #8 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 04:26 PM

Hey Guys, good thoughts and comments - Thanks!

289Cobra - You are right - although the CD is silent regarding a passenger, in the Leno interview Cosby mentioned his daughter. I got the idea it was his wife from the following website that has a lot of Cobra history. www.csx427sc.citymax.com/page/page/4461035.htm - Click on the right link labeled "Baddest Snake of All". The author of the article says, "When Bill Cosby got his (Cobra), and his wife got in it, they went to the first corner and turned to the left, and he stood on it and spun it. She got out and walked home and said, 'sell it' ". I'm not sure what the truth is.

Keith - Not sure if you saw CSX3015. Songwriter Jimmy Webb bought it from Shelby in 1970 for 11K. In 1995 the IRS reportedly seized it for back taxes and auctioned it off. It was bought by a collecter Chris Cox for 375K. Cox kept it for a few years and sold it to David Scaife in Pittsburgh. (the year and $ were not mentioned in my source info) Scaife later sold it to Harvy Cluxton (also owner of CSX3017) of Scottsdale, AZ who reportedly sold it a few months later at a 2007 Barrett Jackson auction for 5 million.

Thanks all for your replies, especially the link to the Cosby-Leno thing. I agree, the "interview" was better than his CD sketch.

289fia_cobra · #9 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 04:32 PM

I think the "real" story was too boring so being the comic he is, embellished it a bit but we all get the story. Just way too much power for someone like him. However, he did talk about the time he took an MG or a Triumph and stuffed a V8 in it. Short skit:

He and his wife took the car to a nice restaurant and had it valet parked.
When he was done with the dinner and asked for his car, they gave him a few boxes of what was left of the British Car. The kid was unhurt but obviously, didn't keep his job.