Club Cobra - Original 63/64 Team Jacket

Several months ago an original blue Cobra Team Jacket came up for auction on E-Bay.

The seller was not the owner but a friend of the owner. The seller placed a picture of the jacket with a short discription that read: "Rare 1965 Cobra Team Jacket as given to staff who were to travel to Le Mans with the race team, this jacket was given to a staff member but for some reason did not go with the team. The Jacket has been hanging in closet last 40 years with plastic cover on it. Size is 40 and is in very good condition. This jacket is owned by a T. Banks who worked in the factory on the assembly line on GT 350,then on Cobras and ended up in the race department. The story goes he was bumped off the race team going to Le Mans by a relitive of C Shelby. Then he was drafted to the Army. The jacket was made by " Whitings" of LA."

What was interesting to me was that the blue Jackets were made in 63 and 64. Carroll changed design in 65. The jacket howeaver was to be worn at the 1965 Le Mans and yet has the 1965 GT 350 patch on the sleve and an Iskidarian patch on the left front chest with the Carroll Shelby patch and Good Year patch on the right front chest. The back has the white COBRA letters. My research tells me that in1965 several GT Mustangs were sent to Europe for the first time. I have an original press release from TWA that describes the Le Mans Cars they were flying over to France. three GT 40"s and two Daytona Coupes on June 9Th, and that the Shelby America race team would by flying TWA the next flight over the pole on June 12 Th. ( Article states Le Mans shipments total 40,000 LBS and are valued at $200,000.00)

The Story gets more interesting. In 1965 Carroll Shelby invited a special guest to the Le Mans race. This quest was the famous Carol Conner song writer of "Hey Little Cobra" first released by the Rip Chords in 1963, then by groups such as Jan and Dean and the Beach Boys. I wounder if she was the reason for which the owner of the jacket was bumped from the flight to France in 1965.

The story gets more interesting. At the 1965 Le Mans race, Shell Oil company made a plaque with a picture of the start of Le Mans and includes an article and picture of Ms.Carol Conner at the race. This plaque was presented to Carroll Shelby who signed it "Love You Carol, Your friend Carroll Shelby. Carol Conner then signed it with her name and "Shut em down" trade mark from the hit song "Hey Little Cobra" and presented it to me.

Shortly after receiving the jacket I came across an original 1965 Winter Nationals Championship Jacket with the same Iskidarian Patch on the front and a large Iskidarian patch on the back. I researched Iskidarian and found that he did supply parts for the 1965 Ford Racing Team GT 350 Mustang and Shelby America.

So how many like new 1963/64 Cobra Team Jackets with the new 1965 GT 350 Mustang/Iskidarian patches are our there? I have documentation to verify this tale from all parties. If nothing else, It is an interesting story.

Question of the day: Who was the first woman to own a 289 cobra? How many did she own?