Any Truth to the rumors?

[Years Ago]

M & M

I am sure it was not your intent, but you are stirring up $$$$ because you have overlooked the prior resonses to your specific question in other threads on ClubCobra. Turk has been resonded to. Your specific question, or one very similar to it (posed by Chuck) was answered by me on another thread in early September, at the time of Shelby's move.

I repeat it here for your benefit and for others that may have similar questions.

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Chuck, did I meet you in the parking lot at Shelby Thursday? Someone and his wife (I assume) drove up looking for the museum and we talked in the parking lot. Perhaps it was not you.

Something needs to be clarified. When we opened the Shelby facility in the 120,000 Sq Ft. building you saw empty, we had 10,000 Sq. Ft. allocated to Cobra. The Cobra operation has greatly expanded. The new facility is dedicated solely to Cobra, and consists of 30,000 Sq. Ft. (in my calculation that is three times the size). The company is hoping to have another 3,000 sq. ft. at the new location dedicated to a showroom operation in a month or so and a re-start of the daily tours.

The larger vacated facility will hopefully not be vacant for long. The current vacant building is a result of the "splitsville" situation with Venture Industries, which is the party currently working with bankruptcy problems. The existing Series 1 stuff (of which there is quite a lot) is in storage in part of that complex still awaiting Venture determination as to how to get it back to the market.

I worked with both sides while I was at Shelby, and am pleased to see Shelby forging ahead as Shelby Automobiles, Inc.

While working with Shelby was somthing more than Venture knew how to handle, before castigating them totally, keep in mind that they invested millions into the operations, and have a vested interest in trying to get back what they can.

Hopefully, Venture will be soon able to resolve their situation at the plant and the facility can return to Shelby for full production of product being develped through the newly disclosed alliance Shelby has struck with an old friend.

Don't mourn, Shelby is still moving vigorously ahead. Amazingly so, given the difficulies in arranging the separation from Venture.

I don't quite understand Chucks reference to "only FIA and Series 1" with a $39,995 poster at the facility. The new operation is full of activity with CSX4000 (prison fiberglass) CSX4000 Aluminum (mostly Kirkham sourced bodies) CSX4000 Fiberglass expected this week from CAV, CSX7000 and CSX8000 rollers (289 and slabside) and finally CSX4000 and CSX8000 anniversary editions.

The Shelby part of the operation has had its strongest year to date in 2003, and once resettled into their own dedicated building should do just fine. The down time of the move and change in operation, will of course, put a hole in the middle of the year. (Production is and has been continuling during all phases of the move, and product is still going to market)>

As to the other reference elsewhere, FFR and Venture have talked together about using up Series 1 materials in a creative way.

Venture and FFR together in the future? - perhaps - however, it has nothing to do with Shelby.

FFR & Shelby together? Don't hold your breath. A Shelby is what Shelby designed and is under Shelby control, not what looks like something Shelby designed designed by someone else. A factual statement, not ment to be an afront to the proponents of either.

Incidently, the new location is across the street, a football field length away from the vacant building at the Speedway.

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Also M & M, please don't be afronted to find no one at Shelby on the week end when the hours are clearing posted "Monday through Friday". Yes, in the past, Shelby has opened when special events were at the speedway, but without a showroom to use it is not practical to invite everyone over. There would be no cars on display because of lack of room. As noted in the reply to Chuck, the lack of a museum and showroom is expected to be temporary while things are being worked out and Shelby hopes to be back in the prior buildings when things are resolved.

Believe me, no one wants the showroom and museum back more than the folks at Shelby.

Hope this helps!