What is your very first memory of seeing a Cobra, live and in person...

[wideglidejoe]

1969. I graduated high school (at age 16) and moved to Wichita Falls, TX one month later. I'm young and naive, but a gear head through and through. I read every page of every hot rod mag I could get my hands on since 1960 (when I was 8). I go past a used car lot and see a '63 or '64 Cobra. I circled the block and stop to look at it. It belonged to the owner (a guy about 30) of the car lot, it wasn't for sale. I'll always remember the 2X4 289, the valve covers and the cast alum oil pan. I knew what it was but I'd never seen one in person. He fired it up, and I thought that was the baddest cam I'd ever heard. After it warmed up, he asked me if I wanted to go for a ride? Duh!! He took me on a 10 minute ride, I thought it was the best ever. That's when I got hooked. It was bright orange with black interior. I would go by occasionally just to look at it. Found out later that his dad owned a bank, and that the dad owned a P-51 Mustang. I tried to get a ride in that, but never did. However, in the 70's, I got to briefly fly a Cobra gunship from the co-pilots seat, so that was cool too! (US Army & Army Reserve for 8 yrs)