Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe's Garage
LMH - True regarding the 427 Cobra. The original small block Cobras, the ones that "started it all", were all AC. AC had already made the mods for a SBF (namely the Ford Zephyr engine). They reworked the front end, put in a stronger rear end, added outboard brakes and moved the steering box to clear the V8. What AC exported to Shelby was a completed, trimmed and painted car without motor & trans for Shelby to put in.
REAL_1 - As for Shelby, no question he took AC's recipe of a V8 powered roadster and eventually made it work in the states, but the "I got there first" award goes to AC Cars with the 24 hours of Le Mans finish in '63. That proved the racing viability of the car by an AC Cars Ltd team, not Shelby.
The question the OP asked is why "AC gets 95% of the credit" for the Cobra? Above are the reasons why.
Sure, a diatribe into the racing history of Shelby after the AC Cars Le Mans performance, and 2 years later with a 2nd gen Shelby Cobra, may deflect some of the attention away from AC, but OT to the subject of this thread. From an historical standpoint, your comments are a lame diversion transparent to most who see the irrelevance to the OP's question. An analogy to your argument would be giving William Tell credit for the invention of the crossbow. WikipediA has it right on the AC Cobra, choke on it  |
Ah, a Brit. Finally you have run your flag up the mast. Don't get me wrong I love the Brits but they do have a tendency to rewrite history on this subject.
Yes, the Wiki article went through all the improvements AC made to the Ace before Shelby came along. No one disputes they made some improvements to the little Ace. But tell me. Did they have plans to make a world champion? Were they developing the car for that purpose? Did they race test it, compete with it? Did they improve it to the point it was a viable world champion in it's class?
This thread has do with the "Cobra" not the Ace. You have become confused. Let me help a little.
The Ace was not a Cobra prior to Shelby appearing. The basic unfinished car was there but it was not a "Cobra" yet. It had quite a ways to go in testing and development before it was "Cobra".
In fact engine alternatives had dried up for AC prior to Shelby appearing on the scene. Bristol supply evaporated. The sales of the Rudd Speed with the Zephyr 2.6 Ford V8 faltered. Sources from GM and Diamler Benz flopped. Things looked bleak for AC at that time circa 1959-1960 for AC did they not?
Then a Texan showed up with two 260 cu. in. engines in his pocket at AC. AC was more then happy to receive him. While Shelby was not an engineer he knew what made a race car work. Shelby American did much more than drop in the new little light weight 260 cu in in Dean Moon's shop. All of the testing that was conducted by SAI revealed where many improvements and strengthening was needed beyond the rear axles and inboard brakes. It was SAI that sent back the info and data to AC from testing for the manufacturing modifications and corrections needed. Not visa versa. Thats the key.
The Ace was not a Cobra and far from it. It provided the basic canvass from which the Cobra was created. It was SAI and Shelby that transformed it to the "Cobra". You seem to ignore this part of the facts and history.
It was Shelby who had the idea to bring the 260 cu in Ford to AC not the other way around. It was Shelby who wanted to build a world champion not the other way around. It was Shelby's racing efforts, sweat and grit efforts that develop and made the Cobra a world champion and a household name. Not AC.
Your analogy is very poor. William Tell did not invent the cross bow or make it world class weapon. I don't know who actually invented the crossbow but if we are drawing analogies Shelby is the guy who took the standard bow and made it the crossbow.
Cheers. ; )