This is one of the reasons I didn't even bother to subscribe to the new "Cobra" magizine knowing it was be totally slanted toward the British view.
The fact is the Cobra would'nt even exist if not for Shelby. AC had one foot in the grave when Shelby showed up with his idea.
AC stole the design for the Ace chasis and body shape from a Ferrari from which the Tojero speicals were born which begot the Ace.
The 289 in the prototype could fairly be called an Ace with a V8. But Shelby developed the car in its suspension, wheel hubs, steering etc.. Not AC. Shelby further developed the 289 in FIA form and turned it into a world champ. Not AC. Shelby developed and fabricated the Daytona Coupes which again helped capture another World FIA championship. Not AC.
As to the 427, Shelby conceived it, designed it, developed it, built prototypes of it, tested it and told AC what to build based on his specs. AC fabricated as told. In fact many Brits today and then favored the 289 which they saw as more their own referring to the 427 in derrogatory ways at times such as a "289 on steroids" or "Frankenstein". Yet, interestingly the 427 is the model that seared itself into the public mind and conscious as the ultimate performance beast and muscle car and is the more valuable and desired of the two by most. Fact. The 427 is a 100% Shelby creation. But for the cost of labor Shelby wanted to build them himself. AC blew the production failing to get enough built by April '65 to qualify the 427 for FIA production. To me AC was nothing more than the "hired" tin bangers for the 427.
The Cobras are and always will be Shelby's babies.
Shelby not AC put the Cobra on the map and made it an Icon. Both 289 and 427.
Them is the facts. The truth hurts.
