american 60s "muscle cars" – Shelby is equal to Cobra

Just mention the name of the race car “Carroll Shelby” and the word “Cobra” to any car enthusiast and you’ll get a smile. It’s like anyone who knows anything about cars and automobiles knows that “Shelby equals Cobra.” However, Carroll Shelby has two other claims to automotive fame: the “Tiger” and the Shelby GT350, as well as the classic Shelby GT500 muscle car models. It can be argued that Shelbies are “the Muscle Cars” of the 1960s.

The story really began with the AC Ace and Aceca models from AC Car Company. These were beautifully proportioned little sports cars, the Ace being an open model and the Aceca the closed coupe version. At first they were powered by the overhead cam six-cylinder engine designed by the company in 1926. It wasn’t long before the demands of racing saw the AC engine replaced as an optional extra by the 105-horsepower inline-six unit. The AC was produced in small numbers at the famous Thames Ditton factories, and at no time did anyone have any idea that this nice little car would become a fire-breathing Muscle Car for the American market, and also go on to form the basis for a world championship GT automatic machine.

At the time AC was quietly building the Ace and Aceca models, a Texan race car driver named Carroll Shelby was knocking on the doors of Detroit’s then “Big Three,” trying to get them to listen to his ideas on how to make an American superfast. . car that could serve its owner as a tram from Monday to Friday, and then with very little work allow him to go jogging at the weekend. Carroll’s ideas were based on a European or Japanese-built chassis fitted with an American small-block V-8 engine and transmission.

It seemed like the mighty General Motors was only interested in their own Corvette, which was eating up all their development time and money, so they weren’t interested in listening to Shelby. Chrysler was not interested in “sports” cars at the time. In fact, they were having enough trouble selling their own cars and other products at the time to worry about any new automotive product or any new car model or automotive line specs. Ford seemed vaguely excited, but needed to be “sold” on the idea. Shelby had heard of the new Ford V-8 engine, the 221C! small-block engine, and saw in it the way to really get the ear and attention of the Ford Motor Company. Shelby pulled off the deal with what might be called “one of the oldest tricks in the book.” He told AC that he might interest Ford in using his chassis and told Ford that he might interest AC in using his V-8 engine. The most important thing is that he told both stories at the same time. Both Ford and AC liked the sound of this idea.

AC then delivered an AC Ace without an engine to Shelby’s shop. In just eight hours, Shelby and his excellent team installed the Ford V-8 in it. It worked, but it was more than obvious to sports car aficionados that there was a lot of work to be done before it was a finished product ready to be shown to both major venues and auto shows and race tracks. . Using the experience and input of an experienced California-based British race/test driver, efforts and expertise were put into the project to the point where a polished product was achieved.

Finally the question is asked: where does the name “Cobra” come from? Legend has it that Shelby Carroll had a notebook prepared next to her bed. Legend has it that one morning Mr. Carroll woke up after a very deep and productive sleep with this mythical name on his lips ready to be written in that same notepad. It is not clearly known whether this origin of the dream name of the classic American muscle car is true or whether the automotive product name arose as a result of years of experience in the automotive and auto racing community and marketing “brainstorming”. However, what is more than certain is that the trade name of Muscle Car “Cobra” fits the image, speed and power of the car, which implies elegant acceleration, deadly acceleration, speed and a more attractive appearance. how outstanding

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