This is a tuff call, because it's easy to see both sides. I've been a Shelby fan for many years and have great respect for the man and what he accomplished - especially behind the wheel. It does seem to me that he has gotten greedy over the years, especially considering what he has put his name on after the success of the Cobra: pick-up trucks, 4 banger cars (loved those "Omni's"), motorcycles, even guitars and chili! But hey, a buck is a buck and business is business. It's hard to say what WE would do if we had a name like his and people were offering us money to use it.
The replica business IS making money off the shape of the Cobra - no doubt about that. It's the most popular replica out there. I find it strange, however, that he didn't start the law suits until he noticed how popular the cars were getting, but that might have been an attorneys idea, and not just his. I guess I would be more convinced to side with him if he had created the shape himself, from scratch at a drawing board vs. taking a car already built and throwing someone elses engine in it (Ford, after Chevy told him they weren't interested). I know, I know, he put some flares on it and tossed in a hood scoop, but C'mon.....who didn't do stuff like that back in high school? In fact, a HS friend of mine and I took a Vega, tore out the 4 banger, and tossed a beefed up 327 V8 in it. Car was fast as hell! Bottom line is, we still called it a "Vega". Heck, maybe I should have flared the wheelwells a little, put a hood scoop on with some rivets, and called it a "TERRY". It could be ME signing all your dashboards today! Damn! .....if only I had a lawyer back then!
