Britain's "remarkable automotive cottage industry"

[Trevor Legate]

Just visited the ebay site and the last time I saw a copy of that was at Goodwood (Revival) and had a tag of £350 if I recall. Had to have a little lie down. Now, the question is - to bid or not to bid? The back cover has a photo of a glamous young lady wearing a Shelby t-shirt, so it could be money well spent. Will I be the one to start a bidding war?? (Don't recall that quote tho!) I need to read all about Thickly Smith - a gap in my knowledge.

[Excaliber]

Reading this thread, enjoying the heck out of the British accent and scratching my head over some of the sayings. Now links to German e-bay web sites. It's an International Feast!

Fascinating how "gear heads" around the world are still "gear heads". Many of us have enjoyed the under powered rides of yester year and the lessons learned.

I to recall the days of my first under powered but hard driven sports car. An MGA. How I could "throw" into a corner with wanton abandon. Somehow those skinny tires DID stick.

That was not the case with my later MGB. Which would promptly swap ends and a "farming" we would go!

Or was I just driving faster by then? Oh the joys of youth.

Ernie

[What'saCobra?]

You are not wrong, Trev.

Charlie did nothing less than a magnificent job in producing the SuperSports series, which was faster and more competitive than the original interseries it was supposed to copy.

Particularly and including the 2 liter sports racers, which were simply unbelieveable in the series. Outsiders have no idea how quick those cars were and how sophisticated.

I will forever sing CA's praises for such a very cool FIA series. And that of his friend Allison's, who did yeoman's work on a daily basis making everything happen. We traveled all over Europe to the best tracks, ate the best food, drank the best wine/beers and got seriously deleriously wacky on those 8-9 liter monsters, burning £10 a gallon VP fuel. About £10 a lap in fuel costs alone.

All the numbers necessary to describe the events, cars and panapoly of people are seriously obscene and telling them much too much like the braggadocio it would have to be. The truth in the telling would leave the readers in serious doubt of our veracity and no doubt about the driver's insanity.

Trev, I would love to craft an adequate history of the new series somehow and show lots of photos and personal stories and car monologues etc. Seems to me it would be interesting and a must have picture/story book.

But, time is always the most valuable commodity, isn't it?

--------------------------------------
Aside:
Green tested the car in its twin turbo 8 liter form and he thought the 1200 hp figure was not much of a mis-statement. Not so wonderful in the rain, he said....particularly because the torque curve was so steeply ramped because of the combination of huge cubits displacement, really big pipes feeding the really even bigger plenums and the multiplier effect of turbo rather than super-charging. Think of a really big switchblade...But, he said it was super, anyway...

[Trevor Legate]

WhataCobra

Must stop posting - but I agree with all your comments (and praise of Allison) and the story of what went on just HAS to be told. As you say nobody would believe the half of it - but then they haven't met Charlie have they?????? We could always knock it out under Adult Fiction? One day...

Always thought the Monster McLaren was a bit of overkill (Charlie again) but if the Mighty Willie (Green) says its super, then super it was (is). I cannot possibly comment. A Lola T70 at full chat out of the Goodwood chicane is all my frayed nerves will take these days.

[KeithBrown]

Trevor,

Pardon me if this has already been covered, but I thought back ~ 100+ posts ago that you stated that you were working on another Cobra book (forgive me if I am mistaken). If my poor memory happens to be correct, could you please let me know what your book is going to cover, in brief, and when it will be available to the hungry public.

Regards,

Keith

[Trevor Legate]

KeithBrown

Hi - yes I have touched on my next book somewhere back in a post - somewhere....so here it is again with added info:

The title will be 'Cobra - The First 40 Years' and covers - you're ahead of me - the first ...forty...years. I had intended to do an update of my last effort with as many new photos as possible, but i actually sat down and read what I had written and soon realised I had to start all over again, so I did and carried on till I stopped, so to speak. Cobra The Real Thing was around 50,000 words and my latest is 85,000 and growing, with the recent Shelby /CAV, AC closing, AC opening, Shelby/AC excitement. Should work out to around 340+ pages. I have gathered a lot of new photos from various sources and still hope to shoot more stuff before the book is finalised. Always looking for more great images, new or old!!! (Subtle hint) I produced a leaflet advertising the book and handed out about 1500 at Techno Essen (one the the best car shows anywhere) stating that it would be published by the end of 2003. But I was wrong. Other things got in the way (a need to earn money) and I HOPE that layout work will start in a week or two. This being a brand new, self-publishing effort I would love to find a co-publisher, preferably in the USA. Motorbooks took my first book and Heel gmbh in Germany did a translation of my second. Such a tie-in would help offset production costs.
If anyone out there is desperate to see my latest "masterpiece" (my quote) in print, just send a genuine cheque for a mere $40,000 and we can rock and roll! As my old Gran used to say - if you don't ask, you don't get. Anyone wanna buy a book?

[KeithBrown]

Thanks for the update. I eagerly await your publication. Unfortunately, I must wait for the mass release of your Masterpiece, as $40,000 would make a good "Start" toward my dream of owning a Kirkham.

Regards,

Keith

[Trevor Legate]

Originally posted by SPEEDEAMON


For those interested in sixties English cars I've got a '64 Lotus Cortina Mark 1 series 1 vintage racer for sale. The car was the sedan class champion in New Zealand in '66 and '67 driven by Barry Phillips of Pukekehoe. The car was Ford Works supported and I have all the docs. I have spent over $64K on preparing this car for vintage racing including engine upgrades, full (removable) cage, fire, all done to SCCA vintage specs. All dialed in and ready to race. Needs racing tires and rear window gasket only. The car will be on ebay soon. I am asking $24K, a mere fraction of what it would cost to prepare it. E-mail me for more info.

Shin

Speedeamon

I would think at that price, you would have no trouble selling your car in the UK, thanks to our current exchange rate. Some Lotus Cortinas have been selling at auction for very high prices. A Cobra-racer in the UK has just added an example to his collection, so you just missed that one. I would have thought an ad in Motor Sport and/or Classic & Sportscar would do the job. Great Car! I shall ask a few people anyway.
Trevor

[PDHse]

Getting back to a few posts back, i also saw that German Cobra book at Goodwood. It was still sealed up, the seller said he would unwrap it if i was interested. At that price i thought it better just to put it back on the shelf.

[SPEEDEAMON]

Thank you Trevor. I am going to try eBay first and then Classics and Sports Cars. My nieghbor who has a real 289 who jus retired from racing it NR 49 on the meatball loaned me your book and told me that I wouldn't find it anymore. Great book. Loved it.

Cheers

Shin

[Trevor Legate]

Speedeamon

Glad you liked the book. Someone else just asked me for a copy, as usual I don't have any (only got 2 copies myself) I came across a dealer in the UK last year who had around 20 and I signed them while I was there. I might give him a call on Monday and see if he has any left. Should anyone be interested!!! Obviously cannot put a date on when my new one will be available. Will try to sort out something next week and get the sow on the road.

KeithBrown

When I mentioned the need for around $40,000, I did mean that it would be repaid!!!! After around 500 copies had been sold of course. And you'd get a free signed copy, since I'm nothing if not generous. 500 would barely keep the ClubCobra punters happy.....sorry, this is starting to sound like a sales pitch!

[Trevor Legate]

Whoops - sorry I meant "show on the road" not "sow" on the road. Oh, I don't know tho!

[Excaliber]

Ha ha,,,and here I thought "sow" was some kind of quaint English accent thing.

Ernie