Entries in Cobra (3)

Tuesday
Aug282012

Cobra Coupe at Brands Hatch


What I love most about watching this driver at work is how he manages to tame one of the most unruly of racing cars through his catlike reflexes, and precise hand movements.

via Motorsport Retro

Saturday
Nov262011

Grand Sport Moment of Zen

Just paid a visit to the Simeone Foundation Museum's "People's Choice" Demonstration Day.  The Corvette Grand Sport sounded sublime. The real showstopper was the Shelby Daytona Coupe, however. More pics to come.

Monday
Feb212011

Shelby Daytona Coupe: Then and Now

The Shelby Daytona Coupe, penned by Pete Brock, has to be one of the most elegantly proportioned yet brutal GT racing cars America has ever produced.  Below are two films with excellent period footage of the cars when they raced! Note: The opening music and voiceover are the same, but these are two different movies.

This next movie has Dr. Fred Simeone eloquently recounting the history of the coupe on one of his demonstration days at the Simeone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia.  His particular coupe (one of 6 made) has a very interesting history. Wish I could have been there! It's a long story but worth the listen if you are a history buff. I found it most interesting to learn that while this car was built in the States, the other 5 bodies were made in Italy in order to save time --the Italians being much more adept at turning out handmade aluminium bodies in a timely fashion.

Click the pic below to see my gallery of Dr. Simeone's car. It's got wonderful patina and amazing presence in its unrestored original state. Kudos to him for not turning it into just another glossy Pebble beach trailer queen.