[What'saCobra?]

Yup, having agreed on that not insignificant point, you will then notice that the 1997 registry (p. 289!), after describing the AK1xxx cars as standard MKIV's, calls out two AKL1xxx "Lightweight groups", Series I and Series II, whatever they mean by that pair of invented partitions.

As you know, the truth is lots more interesting and complicated than this and the factory designated no such easy grouping, except for the simplistic AK vs. AKL chassis number splits. If there were such a grouping, there might be perhaps 5 variants, reflecting lots of different kinds of cars, from milk-toast 302FI streeters to full strength SC's with specialist upgrades. To its credit, the registry adds, "Both Standard AK and AKL cars ['Lightweights'] have had any combination of the above features retro-fitted at the factory." Pretty smart disclaimer, that. Accurate.

Their sloppy use of the words "retro-fitted" might imply "changed after original fabrication", but that would be misleading. Many of the various chassis were built from scratch with customer or Brian-selected unique performance, trim and chassis features.

I suppose the best way to certify a Lightweight would be to see first if its documents verify an ALK1xxx serial number and then weigh the bloomin' car. Even neat paperwork doesn't modify the acceleration due to gravity!

The full rich story is smothered by the regulatory requirements that obscure the detail from us hoi paloi. The SAAC is certainly not interested, to my knowledge, in discovering what lies interred below the National Type Approval, DOT and even the RSPCA rules.

Such an inquiry of the facts might further show that old Shel' not only completely abandoned the Cobras in 1967 through 1996, then constantly gave people guff and threats as they tried to pay the best tribute possible to the design by copying, but was completely upstaged by Brian during the seventies, eighties and nineties; who was building many significant cars that are secreted away from easy scrutiny and who's owners blast around in such secret fun.

Perhaps, like sex, secrets make it more exciting?

You are also absolutely correct that during 1991, 1992 and 1995 Brian built CSX 3056, 3057, 3058 and 3070 (a complete replacement car sent to a Channel Island) as perfectly cloned 427 MKIII SC's. These are what Aston Martin correctly calls "continuation cars." It says "427 MKIII SC" in the AC Cars, Ltd. Registry Book, at the top of the page you are reading, including interesting customer details in column two. (This page immediately follows the page showing CSX 3055 as the very last coil-spring chassis of the competition series cars which was sold to John Wilment.) Even that 1990's list is more interesting than you might at first guess, but it will be some years before all this comes out. When the cars are then worth over a half million apiece, people will want to know.

Twenty years from now, we'll tell them!

The current owners are not the least bothered about the duplication of their serial numbers by Shelby's subsequent purloining of the numbers on his McClusky clones in the early nineties, the so-called "completion cars", P. 254 of the registry, since their CSX 30xx serial numbers are sourced from AC Cars, Ltd., like the originals in 1965, 1966 and 1967 and are not kits, Shelby-authorized psudo-kits or otherwise knock-offs.

I have checked and certain involved parties have said for sure Shel' was never authorized to use the AC Car, Ltd. serial numbers sequenced as CSX30xx.

Much more positively, Brian built what you wanted and what he liked. He was no potted plant, that dude. Talk about customer service. You could get his personal opinions on what would work for you and if at all sensible to his engineering whit, he would build it. I parked my car there in and out for quite a while and the good folks were just the car nuts from whom you wanted to buy.

He will forever be in my memory as my kind of guy and has earned my respect through observed performance. I cannot speak for others, of course or other deals.

The history of automobiles, reflecting our own lives, is littered with broken hearts (even old Shel's replacement heart), wallets and bones. But, it has also seen the flashes of brilliant design, fabrication, marketing and racing that are reflected in our Cobra sport. Again, not often all at once.

For all this, Shel' has earned his place in the firmament...along with the other members of the SA team and the unique contributions of AC Cars, Ltd, before, during and after the fact.

And the beat goes on...