Circa 1971 I answered an advertisement in the local news paper for a COBRA lettered intake manifold. It was cheap so I went to see it in person. It was cheap but it was not in very good condition. Before I left the seller told me that he had something I might like to see. He literally came back out of his house with a sock. In that sock was a pristine S1CS-C ‘COBRA’ emblem (Mr. Brock’s design). I tried to buy it but he would not price it. Sometime later the seller called me to come get it (for a price). I bought it.
Anyway, with that first emblem purchase, I got the idea that I would collect one ORIGINAL of every emblem installed on new Cobras. I had no idea what kind of learning experience, costs in time and money, and frustrations was about to happen. So since that summer circa 1971 I have hunted for, posted want advertisements, visited car owners, visited former Cobra owners, visited restoration shops, and watched for original emblems. Before long that meant including street and race new Cobras at AC Cars, Ed Hugus’ shop, and Shelby American. I am still hunting. There are just two items I have never come across that I could buy or trade for.
The holotype or type set of emblems (and chromated push nuts) below is the significant part of the type set for Cobras (CSX2xxx, COB/COX60xx chassis) I have collected. I included a windscreen maker’s tag just as a good place to keep such an easy to misplace item. Not shown is the one metal tag I have never located (don’t have one) or the two common large ‘COBRA’ stickers (my little display case got too small years ago) Shelby American often used on race cars in place of pinned on metal pieces. Also not shown is a Version 1 of the S1CS-B emblem (do not have one) or a Version 3 of the S1CS-B emblem, again my little display case became too small.
Top Row Left to Right:
Solid ‘AC’ front end solid disc mascot, originally installed by AC Cars on CSX2033.
Large script ‘AC’ boot lid mascot, originally installed by AC Cars on a COB60xx chassis.
S1CS-A ‘SHELBY AC COBRA’ front and rear mascot, originally installed on a CSX20xx chassis.
Note: Early cars finished in Ed Hugus’ shop retained the AC Cars installed emblems and one each S1CS-A emblems were added near each AC Cars part.
Second Row Left to Right:
New old stock ‘POWERED BY FOR EMBLEM’ (the only one I have ever found in new condition still)
Note: Over the production time period there were variations in the metal escutcheon and foil insert.
Elliott windscreen frame maker’s tag removed from a CSX23xx chassis.
Version 2 of the S1CS-B design (commissioned by Mr. Shelby).
Note: There were three versions of the S1CS-B part were used in production and two of them were sold as service parts as late as 1968. Version 1 had smooth chromium plating. Legend says Mr. Shelby thought they were too expensive so he had a cheaper brushed satin chromium plating version created. A second legend says that management Ford Motor Company thought that the brushed version looked cheap and told Shelby American to go back to the first version. Smooth chrome plating returned but an apparent change in processing details created a slightly different new third version. Version 1 used in production originally is very rare now in any condition. Large numbers of Version 2 got left over and are widely scattered in Cobra parts circles. Version 3 parts are not plentiful but they are not super rare either as they were sold as service replacements for years. Also note that some 1963 ‘COBRA KIT’ accessory kits included a pair of this type emblem and a different push nut than used in Cobra production.
Third Row Left to Right:
2” S1CS-C ‘COBRA’ emblem (Mr. Brock’s design) removed from a new Cobra in 1965. (The emblem that started my original emblems project in the mid 1970s.) Also note that some 1964-65 ‘COBRA KIT’ accessory kits included a pair of this type emblem and a different push nut than used in Cobra production.
AC CARS LTD identification tag used on CSX2201 and later American market chassis and including CSX3xxx, COB/COX60xx, and COB/COX61xx chassis. Original tag for COB6120
Note: Shelby American normally left the AC Cars tag on 427 Cobra chassis through the CSX31xx range. On later 427 Cobra chassis Shelby American normally replaced the AC tag with one of their various versions.
Fourth Row Left to Right
Special dichromated Tinnerman® brand push on nuts for use against aluminum coachwork. These two were originally installed on CSX3298.
New old stock ‘1965 Tag’. Shelby American sent out a letter to dealers dated September 1, 1964 along with a supply of these tags. Dealers were instructed to install one of these tags on the car to assist buyers in registering their new Cobras as 1965 models. When one of these letters surfaced identifying the chassis it and the tag was sent for came to light we suddenly got a good idea how so many cars made at any time since 1962 got a ‘1965 COBRA’ tag….it was up to dealers. Ah ha! This new old stock tag was kept by a dealer’s salesman as a souvenir until I managed to make connection with him and buy it. The original tags are fragile and the text damages easily. I have the tag in an archival safe sleeve inside the display case.
Owners tag. Dealers sent names of new Cobra buyers in and Shelby American had tags engraved with the original buyer’s name. Tags were mailed to the dealer. It was apparently up to the dealer to get the tags to the car buyer. Over the years I have seen very few original tags even on original owner Cobras. This tag in this image is a reproduction made by SAAC decades ago. Since this picture was taken I located a new old stock one to replace it with. Again it was a day one souvenir but instead of a salesman it was kept by a former Shelby American employee until I connected with him.
Like most Cobra subjects, nothing is simple about emblems related to Cobras.
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