i think you guys are missing some real important history in the cobra story:
1) ed hugus supplied the start up capital and early manufacturing.
if ed hugus had declined ford's offer when ford went to ed to back the first few cobras to be built, the cobra may have been still-born from the get go. shelby was neither in the position to financially back the project nor did he have the facilities to assemble the cobras (look in the registry and see where the first cars were delivered, except csx2000). for his backing of the cobra, ed hugus was to be the east coast distributor / manufacturer (including the first customer race car csx2001).
2) ford supplied the engines and later financial backing.
3) ac supplied the chassis.
* so if shelby is the father of the cobra, where is ed hugus in the cobra story ? *
* the kirkham cars should be in the registry *
* ford had the forethought not to back shelby's possible snake
oil product in the beginning *