A Continuing Legacy of Performance By Carroll Shelby's own admission -- one that he's repeated more than once -- when he began building his roadsters in 1962, he had no fanciful idea about creating an archetype for the American sports car. In his introduction to the book Shelby Cobra: The Shelby American Original Archives, the ex-chicken-farmer from Leesburg, Texas, said " I just thought we were building a few production cars to help finance our racing." But at other times Shelby, not prone to understatement, has admitted that his objective in building the racing version was to "take it to Europe and kick Ferrari's ass," and that the impetus behind the 427 street CobraB. came down to a predilection for blowing Corvettes off the road. For the record, he succeeded on both counts. In fact, in 1965 the Cobra became the first American automobile to take the cup in the prestigious World Manufacturer's cup, beating established European contenders like Maserati and Aston-Martin. As for Corvette, more than one has watched -- from a rear vantage point -- Cobra's taillights disappearing in a cloud of road-dust. Reading about the early days of Shelby American and the team of drivers and engineers on Shelby's crew, one is reminded of the renegade test-pilots in Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff, another group of brash and talented experts whose sharp focus was on building and mastering fast machines. Like the pilots of that earlier era, Shelby and cohorts like Bob Bondurant, Ken Miles, Glenn "Fireball" Roberts and Pete Brock were interested in breaking boundaries -- and maybe also a few rules in the process. Though Shelby disclaims that his intent was to build the ultimate American sports car, history has written a different end to the story. Perhaps if he had begun with such a deliberate and premeditated goal, the Cobra would never have reached the legendary status that it has. As things happened, the chemistry was right, the pieces all fell into place, and everything just clicked -- at least for a few years in the mid-1960s. Evidence of that special automotive alchemy can be found in the continuing and fanatical following that the car maintains to this day, and in the fact that there are dozens of enterprises dedicated to continuing the tradition by building exacting replicas. Further evidence can be found in the critical acclaim that the Cobra has received in the automotive press over the years. Following are just a few samples:
"Very simply stated, the AC Cobra attained higher performance figures than any other production automobile that we have tested. And it did it with the street engine."
- Car and Driver road test, March 1963
1966 Shelby Cobra Road-test results
0 - 60 mph3.6 seconds
0 - 100 mph8.4 seconds
0 - 130 mph15.1 seconds
1/4 mile12.0 seconds @ 118 mph
Top speed152 mph (redline)
Braking, 70 - 0 mph198 feet
Road-holding, 300-ft. skidpad, g0.99
"...14.5 seconds to accelerate to 100 miles an hour and then stop again. Until something better comes along, that may have to stand as some sort of high water mark in performance cars that are available to the general public. That figure, mind you, is obtainable by the average Cobra driver with regular street tires. Cobra test driver Ken Miles has done it in 13.8 seconds."
-Brock Yates on the 427 Cobra, Car and Driver, November 1965
"The Cobra is a shockingly single-purpose car. No frills, no extra sound deadening, only the implements required for rapid transit. The flat instrument panel has single round white-on-black gauges -- one to monitor every factor you might need to check, including oil temperature. The external body sheet-metal extends right into the cockpit to form the top of the instrument panel and the windshield clamps down on the cowl, in traditional sports-car fashion, just inches in front of your nose." -From a 1970 Car and Driver road-test (reviewing a '65 Cobra)"The 427 Cobra is the most powerful car ever turned loose among men. It's fast, too, but that's a different story. This one's about a power never revealed in physics class...We're talking about the power to cloud men's minds...Stephen King never imagined a power so sinister."
-Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, June 1998
Completed Replica A fully assembled Cobra replica represents the end of a long journey -- weeks (or perhaps months) of diligent work and fastidious attention to detail. The end result, however, is something truly distinctive -- striking and beautiful to look at, and providing a driving experience that can be literally breathtaking. It's fortunate for dedicated enthusiasts that there are a number of reputable manufacturers who are meticulous in their faithfulness to the original Cobra, providing the builder with the means of creating something that goes well beyond the typical kit car. Undertaking a project of this scope is a serious commitment in terms of both time and expense, but it is also one that provides a link to an authentic piece of automotive history and an indelible standard of performance.
RESOURCES :
cobracountry.com
Premiere online resource for all things related to CobraB. reproductions. Established by enthusiast Curt Scott, and maintained by Crown Communications of Santa Clarita, CA, the site contains news, articles archives, a directory of Cobra-replica specialists and manufacturers, aftermarket sources, announcements of upcoming shows and rallies, listings of Cobra clubs, links to other Cobra sites, and more.
Cobra Country
Website: www.cobracountry.com
The Cobra Story: A Man, His Dream and His Automobile
Author: Carroll Shelby and John Bentley
1965, Trident Press
Carroll Shelby website
The Carroll Shelby Web Site
The official web site of the man who created the legend.
Includes biographical information, a historical timeline, information about new Shelby cars and products, news, links and more.
Web site: www.carrollshelby.com
Shelby Cobra: The Shelby American Original Color Archives 1962-1965
Model: 0879387572
Author: Dave Friedman
(1994)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Essential AC Cobra : The Cars and Their Story 1962-67
Model: 1870979850
Author: Rinsley Mills
(1997)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Shelby Cobra Gold Portfolio, 1962-69
Model: 1855200236
Author: R.M. Clarke
(1990)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Carroll Shelby's Racing Cobra
Model: 0850454573
Author: Dave Friedman and John Christy
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Shelby American Racing History
Model: 0760303096
Author: Dave Friedman
Out of Print
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Shelby American Inc.
Carroll Shelby's company specializing in manufacture of a new series of authentic Cobras.
6755 Speedway Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89115
702-643-3000
Web site: www.shelbyamerican.com
or
"http://www.shelbyamerican.com/cobra/">www.shelbyamerican.com/cobra
clubcobra.com
Clubcobra.com is an online resource for information on Cobras and Cobra replicas.
Web site: www.clubcobra.com
Shelby's Wildlife: The Cobras and Mustangs
Model: 0879380454
Author: Wallace A. Wyss
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
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