Miscellaneous Rumblings

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Back in 1964 through 1966, a small local Connecticut Ford Dealer by the name of Keating Ford "Home of the Affordable Fords" was perfectly situated between our home and High School. Enroute as it were....

Every day, twice a day, I passed Keating Ford's large glass windowed display showroom. It was back in late '64 or early '65 when I was 14, that I noticed a light colored metalic blue two seat roadster, with wire wheels in the window. The perverbial "skreek" noise of my desert boot's gum soles were notification that I had come to a quick stop.

I knew a few of the salesmen at Keating, as my older sister had just purchased a new Mustang. So I slipped in, and asked Mr. Paradise (the salesman) "What Is that?".

"Its one of those new Ford AC Cobras son, built by that Carroll Shelby. You know the racer?" (note, that it was not called a "Shelby Cobra")

"Oh Yah" I said (I lied, I did not know who Carroll Shelby was, but Mr. Paradise knew so I figured that was good enough for me).

"It looks fast?" I asked.. As I noted the $6,300 price tag on the windshield. Jessus... I thought to myself, that's like the price of 3 Mustangs COMBINED and even more than the Corvette!

"Well, I've not driven it yet but I hear that they are racing them out in California and doing really well. There's a big 289 eight in it you know... Very Fast.... AyyUp" he say in his New England twang.

Well, as time went on, I begged my Dad to stop in and see the Cobra. We did. The salesmen all agreed that this Cobra was just a "nice weather, weekend car" , not suited for rainy or snowy conditions. When Dad heard you could not lock the car up, well, he just rolled his eyes and walked away ... I. on the other hand, really liked the lines of that Cobra!

Later on, I saw the 289 Light Blue Cobra being test driven. I was walking by with a young girl who I had, let's say, an interest in. A guy, about 50 years of age was pulling away with Mr. Paradise in the passenger seat... and a small crowd of salesmen and mechanics watched as the Cobra pulled away with a rumble.

One of the Salesmen said to the other... "There's something in the way she moves..."

I was wondering if he was referring to my girlfriend or the Cobra? And, in any case, they both did move pretty well.

FootNote: My relationship with my girlfriend lasted perhaps 6 months (long time in young love years!).... I got over the loss of the girl but never got over the "never having driven a Cobra" void.... I never had a relationship with a Cobra until just recently (when I was 53 (sounds familiar eh?) , even though there were a "few' more Cobras in Keating Ford's windows (especially liked a dark blue one and the dark racing green one). I never did see a 427 model there however. All the Cobras were street roadsters with wire wheels and under car exhaust.

But I will confess.... Car Enthusiasm is still one of the great enthusiasms in MY Life... I am a target shoother, a skeet shooter, a craps shooter, a collector of books, an amature archaeologist, and let me tell you..., none of those passions can ever bring a lift to your inner spirt than a good drive in the AC Ford Cobra, on the right road, on the right day, with the right passenger, no music... just the harmony of the road .... Yup... the salesmen was right....

"There's Something in the Way She Moves...."

Someone should write a song about that.

Cheers. and of course... RUMPAA!

[tyfaim]

That was a great story, thank you.

[blykins]

Good story Red. I'd like to write a story about my first Cobra test drive...an SPF in Cinci. I may have to hire you or Hal to put it "into words" for me. It was an all-time favorite experience of mine. Hopefully one that I can replay once I get mine finished. I really envy you guys who can drive yours anytime you want. Someday I hope........

[TonyMadrid]

George Jones recorded a song about a similar situation. Unfortunately it was about a young lady and a Corvette. The guy was interested in the fine lines on her amongst other aspects that I don't quite recall. Unbeknownst to the guy with the Corvette, who thought the other guy was talking about the car, he was really referring to the young lady.

I believe the title of the song is the Corvette song.

Sorry for having to use that language here, maybe one of our creative club members can rewrite the song using Cobra in place of .......... (well you know)

[Tongue Pirate]

My first ride in a cobra will be in mine. I didn't plan it that way but as I am building it just looks like the logical ending to a 3 year wait & a 1 year (hopefully ) build. I don't mind at all, in fact it seems like the correct thing to do. I can't wait....

[Cal Metal]

Art:

Great story. The Registry does not list Keating Ford or any Ford dealer in Conn. as ever having ordered a Shelby Cobra (289). Was this dealer, by chance, close to Tasca Ford of Rhode Island or Harr Ford of Massachusetts? Often times some of these cars found their way into lesser known dealerships via the larger dealers.

I assuming that the cars you looked at were new cars. This is interesting and something the Registry people would find historically significant. If there is anything else you can remember, please include it in an additional post.

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Yes, Keating Ford is perhaps within 80 miles of each of those dealers. I suspect that, since Keating is in Stratford, which is/was the home of Avco Lycoming Jet Engines and Sikorsky Aircraft, that many test pilots who lived here in and around town would ask for these cars, as my memory serves. So I would imagine that the cars found their way there via the larger dealers that you mentioned. Many were ordered specially for customers and stored in the showroom and not out on the lot.

The general area of lower Fairfield County, being very affluent, has always supported unique purveyors of automobiles. During that same period, the NART Ferarri team was located nearby, and Win Sports and Imports delt in Morris, Jensen, Austin-Healey and such. Also, Pray had Porsche while Helmuts had BMW. There was always something fast and hot and exotic around in those days. I also do remember Keating having Shelby GT350's in the showroom, but only on occasion.

BTW, do you know what the demographic age was of the original Cobra purchaser? These cars were very expensive in their day and I would imagine that factor would limit the buyers to the affluent? (older clients?)

Here in New England, no one of correct mental capability would use a Cobra (then or now) as an every day driver, the weather being what it is.

[Cal Metal]

Art:

The Registry doesn't have the demographic data, aside from some which is anecdotal. There are, of course, references to ages, particularly if the buyer was rather young. There are a few cases of large inheritances going into the hands of an eighteen year old and his first stop is a Ford dealership, and you guessed it, he wasn't there to buy a Falcon.

CSX 2427, a DragnonSnake, was purchased for two young sons by their father who was, I believe, a major player in textiles. The car optioned out at over $9,300, which was a King's ransom back in '64. The kids raced it for two years and then stopped. Dad sold the car.

You are quite correct, too, in your point about owning a car like this in a nothern climate. California made sense, but New England or Wisconsin would have been pure folly. A rare person, indeed, who bought one of these. It took from 1962-65 for SAI to sell 600 units. As a point of comparison, Chevrolet was manufacturing 500 Corvettes a week. People wonder why they are so rare? You had to be crazy to own one if you lived anywhere near snow. These were the days before people tucked things away for winter. Daily driver meant daily driver.

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Cal:
Quite right. Indeed, at that time we had only one car in our family until my sister purchased her Mustang. Most, basically had a single car so a special purpose vehicle was a true luxury. Next time I am down at Keating, I will inquire as to their old source. Sad part is, like many of the original Cobra Owners, the owners of Keating as well as the staff has totally changed, over these many years.

Cal, do you know of a book or collection of original owner recollections about their purchase and use of their Cobra? It has just dawned upon me that the guy who I saw test driving and then buying that Cobra in 1964/5 is probably now in his 90's. And most Cobra owners are at about 38 years older now. It would be a real great idea for a book to hunt down these original owners and interview them and get their stories down on paper. Has the SAAC done this to any extent in a published work?

[Cal Metal]

With both the CSX 2xxx/3xxx cars, original owners do exist, and they can be found in the Registry. NCRS (National Corvette Restorer's Society) does the biography thing quite a bit, not only with original owners (they are rare), but with people who are second or third owners, who purchased their cars many years ago. Makes for some good reading.

Perhaps the oldest original 427 owner is Karl "Fritz" Schiffmayer who races at Elkhart Lake (not with this car). We run into each other every year at the Brian Redman Challenge. I should talk to him about it. It would be interesting to explore the motivations and context in which these cars were purchased. The reasoning is probably more interesting than the outright purchase, itself.

[REDSC400]

Cal,
I agree. Someone should undertake a project of inteviewing all existant living original CObra owners. I am sure there are pictures, stories, and other data that is just slipping by. It will not be long now that these folks will be in the big passing lane in the sky (as it were). It would be a shame to have their stories lost.

I do remember a Duesenberg owner saying that if nothing else he would like to have talked to the original owner....

Someone should do this... and quick.