Elvis Presley and the White 427 Cobra

Historybuff · #1 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 12:50 PM

The King was a car guy, more or less, though he bought more Cadillacs than anything else. He did have a Rolls Phantom V which I think is still at Graceland and a Stutz Blackhawk. And a Pantera he shot at when it wouldn't start.
But the only car I want to find him pictured with is a white 427 Cobra. I saw the movie Spinout on TV, and if I have my title right, I think he's driving a white 427 Cobra in the opening scene. Only minutes after that opening scene he spins it out and off the road into the water wherupon presto-chango it changes into some damn kit car (you didn't expect that to smash a real Cobra did you?) I went to those shops in Hollywood that sell movie shots but none had any of Presley with the white car though it's even on the movie poster (though posters varied for different countries).
I don't know how to download a still picture from a movie but if anybody does, let me know and I'll pay for the movie rental.
I even think the car might be Ollie the Dragon, the car that was raced by either Hal Keck or Essex Wire, famous for belching flames out of the hood scoop!
I am disappointed that Presley, after his brush with the ultimate Cobra , didn't buy one himself but he had to save his money to buy all those teddy bears...

History Buff

computerworks · #2 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Historybuff

I even think the car might be Ollie the Dragon, the car that was raced by either Hal Keck or Essex Wire

...wrong,

Wallace, did you get a computer or something?

...suddenly...all these posts.

tstover · #3 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 01:03 PM

www.oldiesmusic.com/king.htm

VRM · #4 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 03:09 PM

I have my own copy of the movie. When I get some time I will see if I can post a still. White car, red meatballs, black #11. Theoretically, it could mean 1st in Division 1 of the ARRC. Ed Lowther and Dick Smith raced with the same number.

Look for CSX3011, CSX3012, and one other one (perhaps 3002) as the cars used for the movie. I'd have to check my notes to be sure.

Anybody have any idea what the car is that is shown in the water after Elvis is run off the road at the start of the movie? It is not a Cobra. IIRC the front quarter looks 63-64 Corvette-like, with ??? for the back end. Any ideas?

Steve

Trueoo7 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-02-2013, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VRM

I have my own copy of the movie. When I get some time I will see if I can post a still. White car, red meatballs, black #11. Theoretically, it could mean 1st in Division 1 of the ARRC. Ed Lowther and Dick Smith raced with the same number.

Look for CSX3011, CSX3012, and one other one (perhaps 3002) as the cars used for the movie. I'd have to check my notes to be sure.

Anybody have any idea what the car is that is shown in the water after Elvis is run off the road at the start of the movie? It is not a Cobra. IIRC the front quarter looks 63-64 Corvette-like, with ??? for the back end. Any ideas?

Steve

If you look in my photo gallery (page 3) I came across this car a few years back in a casino down in Tunica Mississippi. It was in this movie and they tried to call it a cobra but I don't think so.....is this the car you are looking for?

hurricaneharold · #6 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 03:28 PM

any ideas who drove the other cobra in the race in the same film?

wizard · #7 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 03:52 PM

Try this link

http://www.elvis.org/trailers/spinout.html

gsharapa · #8 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 05:16 PM

Sure brings back memories. Thanks for the link........

thudmaster · #9 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 05:54 PM

He's here in my car...........

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/elvis.jpg

gsharapa · #10 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 05:58 PM

Ed,

Good thing he didn't look like that in Spin Out as he probably won't made it out of the water.........

1985 CCX · #11 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 06:07 PM

Great trailer!
Those of you with the movie, how much more car scenes/time is there in the feature? If there is a solid 10-15 minutes of vintage car video it may be worth buying. Bet its in Walmart for short $.

Jeff

Excaliber · #12 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 09:26 PM

Hey Ed, looks like a replica sitting in a replica!

Elvis is IN the bldg...

sp1410 · #13 (**permalink**) 02-07-2007, 10:24 PM

Don't forget that Viva Las Vegas is about a road race too. There are plenty of great race scenes with vintage cars including Cobra, Corvette, etc. Plus... Ann Margaret.

Historybuff · #14 (**permalink**) 02-10-2007, 09:53 AM

in the actual lead in to the movie it seems like its a couple of minutes of white Cobra. Then this girl tries to pass him and Elvis tries to pass her and ends up in the drink. The car that goes into the drink might have been a Woodhill Wildfire, an early kit car.
I have seen still pictures from the movie where Elvis is in the foreground and the cobra in the background and they have an engine on a chain and it's a huge engine, I don't think a 427, something the size of a Rolls Royce Merlin V-12!

Different movie posters from different countries featured the white Cobra more prominently than the American posters

Regarding Elvis impersonators, met one from Memphis the other day at the Barrett Jackson and it's odd how once you get to talking to him, you feel like you are in the company of Elvis...like you've known him forever. Eerie...

spinout11 · #15 (**permalink**) 02-02-2013, 07:18 PM

Hi, I just found your site and I see you have been asking about my old race car that Elvis used as a stunt car in the movie Spinout. It had an Austin Healey frame and a 327 Chev motor in it. The Body was a one off. It was going to be a production kit body called the Banshee. I bought it three days after Elvis passed away. I still have the ad that was in the LA Times. It was in very bad shape. It had been in a barn since the filming. No Motor or transmission. I bought it over the phone and then headed to California to pick it up.
Restored it with help from friends and put it on a small show tour in and around Minnesota and Canada. Then I raced it at BRI and Road America for a few years.

Rich Meyer

VRM · #16 (**permalink**) 02-02-2013, 09:00 PM

Rich, Can you post some photos of it? I would love to see it - I spent a fair bit of time trying to figure out what it was.

Thanks!
Steve

Mark IV · #17 (**permalink**) 02-03-2013, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VRM

Rich, Can you post some photos of it? I would love to see it - I spent a fair bit of time trying to figure out what it was.

Thanks!
Steve

Story and photos in an issue of the SHELBY AMERICAN circa early eighties. The "stand in" Cobra was in a "museum" as as "Cobra" and owned if I recall by "Jimmy Velvet". My copy is packed away from my last moce but perhaps Nedsel has one handy............

spinout11 · #18 (**permalink**) 02-26-2013, 06:36 PM

It drove good. On the strait of BIR I was clocked at 172 MPH It was very smooth, but it sat high off the road. In one photo it looked like a 4x4 Did not corner very well though. In the five years of racing it I was in the grass at least 4 times. It sure was fun. I'm working on another thunder boomer now. Kellison convertible with a Jaguar frame and a Chevy motor.

imaracingmom · #19 (**permalink**) 11-18-2018, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinout11

It drove good. On the strait of BIR I was clocked at 172 MPH It was very smooth, but it sat high off the road. In one photo it looked like a 4x4 Did not corner very well though. In the five years of racing it I was in the grass at least 4 times. It sure was fun. I'm working on another thunder boomer now. Kellison convertible with a Jaguar frame and a Chevy motor.

Was telling my 33 year old son about this car a couple of days ago. He did not believe me that I had been going to BIR since the 70's. I grew up in St. Louis Park. Some friends of mine were crew for you at BIR and I tagged along a few times. My son didn't believe me that I had met somebody who raced the car in that Elvis movie. It was my first experience watching road course racing, as most of my interest was in stock car racing and drag racing back then.

We are former racers and huge motorsports fans. One of the current owners of BIR passed away about a week ago and my son was at the memorial last night. People were talking about the history of the track and my son mentioned the story from good old Mom about the Spinout car. Glad to find this and show him it is a real story.

Wish my old photo albums hadn't been destroyed. Had some great pictures of you and the crew at the track! Really glad I found this thread, sure brings back lots of memories.

mrmustang · #20 (**permalink**) 11-18-2018, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imaracingmom

Was telling my 33 year old son about this car a couple of days ago. He did not believe me that I had been going to BIR since the 70's. I grew up in St. Louis Park. Some friends of mine were crew for you at BIR and I tagged along a few times. My son didn't believe me that I had met somebody who raced the car in that Elvis movie. It was my first experience watching road course racing, as most of my interest was in stock car racing and drag racing back then.

We are former racers and huge motorsports fans. One of the current owners of BIR passed away about a week ago and my son was at the memorial last night. People were talking about the history of the track and my son mentioned the story from good old Mom about the Spinout car. Glad to find this and show him it is a real story.

Wish my old photo albums hadn't been destroyed. Had some great pictures of you and the crew at the track! Really glad I found this thread, sure brings back lots of memories.

I remember reading in the PB post about Jed Copham being killed in what has been called "a boating/swimming accident". Sad as he appeared to be a very driven man, and a young one at that.