The Hooniverse is a mighty fun place... here is what Cobra Commander would drive

Those guys putting Hooniverse together are making such an enjoyable site, go check it out for a light hearted look at the Auto Enthusiast world http://hooniverse.com/

One owner 1964 Shelby AC Cobra 289 sells for 475,000

CSX 2305 is one of the few one owner Cobras that existed.  found on http://jalopnik.com/5852452/one-owner-shelby-cobra-sells-for-475000

This original Shelby Cobra was purchased by Ed Johnson at Kansas City Ford in 1964. Johnson was the county Medical Examiner, and he raced and autocrossed the Cobra on a regular basis, earning numerous trophies and awards along the way. These awards, along with extensive documentation, will accompany the car to its new home.

I know of three others.

You ought to know I've already posted about them, and taken photos several times of the Hank's CSX 2227 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/07/hassler-spring-was-to-counter-top-heavy.html , and a gallery of Carroll's CSX 2001 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/12/carroll-shelby-prototype-cobra-1.html .

The most famous person and longest owner of a Cobra besides Carroll is Herbie Hancock CSX 2006  http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/03/herbie-hancock.html  or read the story about Herbie and his Cobra at http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/all-cobra-talk/96650-hank-williams-cobra-289-did-he-order-two-barrel-originally-2.html

Less than a car width away from the race cars that go past at about 120mph.. exhilerating. Speedfest 2011

Have you checked out the Magnetic Brain lately? He's upped his game, and his site is looking awesome! His content was never less than great, but it's even better now!

check back often cause these are just a few of the most recent photos he's posted, it looks like he's putting content up more frequently http://magneticbrain.blogspot.com/

Stop if you've heard this one before, woman is given a 60's race car, she stores it for 30's years while she works at a Sears warehouse (after losing the car she suicides), because her dad gave her the car, because he was a bodyguard, to a music legend who murdered a woman.(Phil Spector) Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe CSX 2287's story

Yes, same car. Above is the 1964 Riverside race, from http://magneticbrain.blogspot.com/

in November 1965 when Shelby took it out of “retirement” to run at the Bonneville Salt Flats. They changed engines and tires, retained the Le Mans 2.88 gearing and they were ready. No special prep, no spare engine, minimal supplies. USAC really didn’t believe they were serious about running for endurance records. They were more than just a little surprised when drivers Breedlove and Tatroe clocked 1,931 miles, averaging 150 mph and breaking the record set by Bugatti in the 1936 Type 57G “Tank” . It set 23 national and international Stock Car Speed and Endurance records!

After Bonneville the first Coupe required three days of cleaning to get rid of the salt. Now a tired racer, it was sold and ultimately fell into the hands of record promoter Phil Spector who, after receiving many tickets, gave it to his bodyguard. The bodyguard gave it to his daughter who, in 1971, put it in storage in Yorba Linda, California. She kept it locked up, not allowing historians, collectors, or even Carroll Shelby to see it. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it became obvious that this car was an icon and extremely valuable.

Once the world became aware that the car was in storage, and everyone pressured her to seel the car, an exotic car dealer, Spector, Brand and her boyfriend who claimed she had promised him the car. Plus there was a judge and litigation involved before it was over. After selling the Daytona, Brand willed the car to her mother and then committed suicide.

It's now in the Simeone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia.

Read the whole story at http://www.carguychronicles.com/2010/03/shelby-cobra-daytona-american-racing.html found via http://theoldmotor.com/?p=13328

there are other crazy stories in this big world of cars, this is just one of many. Read the "Hemi In The Barn" "Cobra in the Barn" and "Corvette In The Barn" books by Tom Cotter. Blows your mind how many of the ultra exclusive race cars, muscle cars, and sports cars have been left to rot and neglect for years and decades by owners that weren't interested in them

Covettes and Cobras still meet the first Saturday of the month in the Costco parking lot by Starbucks

Someone has burned their legs, and isn't going to let that happen again

Cool new photos from Cay Broendum

from http://caybroendumsparetime.blogspot.com

Shelby AC Dragonsnakes (only 8 made)

Ed Hedrick pistured above in the (fuchia or magenta yuck) dragonsnake that put the AC Cobra into the national records for winning A B and C/sports for 1963 and 1964

Available in 1963, sold with 23 options designed specifically for drag racing. The 289 cu in engine was availble in 4 stages of performance, 271, 300, 325 and 380 horsepower

Oct 2011 update, one just was at Mecum at Monterey auction, and didn't sell at 825,000

AC Cobra trivia

According to an article in Cruisin' Style magazine,

there are 6 known original owner 289 Shelby AC Cobras

Dean Jeffries, pinstriper and custom car bulder, Oakland Roadster Show winner

I was just reading an article about Dean and the Mantaray, and learned that he travelled to Indy for the 500, and on year, pinstriped 2/3rds of the race cars

James Dean was one of his early customers, and Jeffries painted "Little Bastard" on the Porsche 550 Spyder that Dean owned.

Agajanian took Jeffries to the 1952 Indy 500, Mobil Oil, noticing his unusual painting and pin striping style, hired him in the following years to paint any of the Indy race cars. It was free to the teams and Mobil got their logo somewhere on the car. Jeffries would paint and pin stripe the cars and helmets of race car drivers like Jim Rathmann, Parnelli Jones, and A. J. Foyt, and become Foyt's paint and body man.

After that, in 1962, he worked for famous race car designer and builder Carroll Shelby on the Cobra.

Dean's show car, Mantaray, first appeared at the 1964 Oakland Roadster Show where it won the Tournament of Fame First Prize. The smallblock Ford engine & 4-speed trans came directly from Shelby as partial payment for work Jeffries had done and to this day that Cobra engine has just a few miles on it.

For more about Dean Jeffries, mostly photos of his pinstriping, Krazy Shirts, and his magazine advertisements: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Dean%20Jeffries

Barnfind Shelby AC Cobra, and a one owner, less than 7.4 thou miles '62 Benz 300SL roadster getting auctioned by Gooding Jan 21st

Said to be the only unrestored Cobra in blue and red livery, the '64 AAC Cobra spent 33 years in "storage" yet comes off as surprisingly lustworthy in spite of that. It began life as Carroll Shelby's promo car at SoCal racing venues, was pulled from the deeep barn sleep to do the 2010 Pebble Beach

from http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/15/gooding-unloads-its-time-capsule-cars-for-its-2011-scottsdale/

great heavens! A DragginSnake!

From the fantastic collector of awesome dragracing images: http://magneticbrain.blogspot.com/

Vintage photographs of racing Cobras

What the hell is the above Cobra doing with a frickin' LUGGAGE RACK?

Photos from http://5window.tumbler.com/

Here is a quick sample of what you'll see in the pits at Speedfest

The above is rare, it's a air cooled opposed piston engine like the VW... DB is the symbol on the nose of the car... stands for Duetsch something... I can't recall, but it was a French company and it was made for rally racing.

Above is a Railton

Lagonda

Big corrals of race cars!