rumor control--has SAAC lost its use of Shelby name?

[RACER X #99]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

With several posts here that seem to say that SAAC should not allow replica owners in the club, I'm glad to see the SAAC Original Cobra Registrar reply to say that just ain't so.

Since the track time partisipants pay the largest part of the track rental fees at the SAAC convention and since the majority of open trackers are driving Replica Cobras or non Shelby Mustangs, without their partisipation the SAAC convention would be just a big car show without many spectators.

I don't know of many who are willing to pay $65. to look at cars standing still.

RD

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by computerworks

Whaaaat? That's not what Ned said... Ned confirmed that there is no restriction on replicas by SAAC or Lime Rock for the Labor Day event.

Further....just for the record... there has never been a restriction by SAAC for membership if you have a replica...you don't have to own anything to be a member.

You are welcome as a replica owner to be a member, to attend events, to participate in Open Track at the National Convention, to enter the Popular Vote Show-and-Shine at National Conventions. The only restriction is that original-only cars are the only cars allowed to be judged in the Concours.

Are you a member? ...huh?

Ron,

I think you misunderstood me.

I was trying to point out that some people are saying the SAAC should not be for replica owners. I did not say that Ned said that. I believe the people who are saying things like that are probably NOT SAAC members.

I did not say that SAAC or Ned do not want replicas in the club. I was pointing out that Ned acknowledged that replicas were allowed at SAAC events. And having a key SAAC member like Ned point out that replicas and their owners are welcomed by SAAC will hopefully dispel the notion that SAAC should just be for original Shelby owners.

And, yes I am a SAAC member and have been since 1981. One of these days, I plan on being a replica owner as well as a SAAC member.

[Don]

Kayakjack, agree with the recognition of the C6R at race events, same applied at Lime Rock Park with a good size crowd in front of their paddock spot and during tech inspection. I was referring to the general public when they see a Cobra on the road, at restaurants , gas stations, local car shows, cruise nights etc etc.

Chevrolet renewed their contract with Pratt & Miller for 2008, even though there currently is no factory competition in GT 1. Speculation only that P & M " might " make a customer C6R for GT2.

Chevrolet has approved P & M's own edition of a C6, with Jay Leno being the 1st customer

http://www.badboyvettes.com/

[Don]

All........thanks for the clarification on replicas participating in the Lime Rock Park event on Labor Day weekend

[kayakjack]

Originally Posted by Don

Kayakjack, agree with the recognition of the C6R at race events, same applied at Lime Rock Park with a good size crowd in front of their paddock spot and during tech inspection. I was referring to the general public when they see a Cobra on the road, at restaurants , gas stations, local car shows, cruise nights etc etc.

Don, HALF of me says - Look if you want to get a Cobra race team to go after GM/Corvette, go do it. Don't be just a spectator. Negotiate a license deal with Shelby so they make $. Use Shelby contacts to get Ford in the act. They put up $ and support. They get promotion opportunities and end up selling lots more cars. Make $. Pay someone like Panoz to build a car and run the race team. They have the ability to do it right. They make $. Lots more people pay to see ALMS races. More $ for Panoz.

As a kicker, hire Alex Gurney and Derek Hill to drive. Imagine the publicity.

They other HALF of me says, forget it Jack, go back to work. Enjoy your car. This is a lost cause.

Jack

[Jamo]

Aston Martin has carried the flag for Ford in ALMS for the past several years...pretty damn well in fact. Lends an international bent for the series, and allows them to run in Europe with modifications. Shelby's a good label, but having a DBR1-colored Aston Martin and numbering it "007" ain't assactly a bad marketing move (though its teammate 009 was the better runner).

Saleen's running in GT-1 as well, as does Panoz. So, Ford is represented more than most.

But with Ford shedding its high-end stuff, maybe the door does open for a Shelby racing team...although a Ford GT might make more sense. It would harken back to Shelby running one of the GT40 teams.

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by RACER X #99

I don't know of many who are willing to pay $65. to look at cars standing still.

Concorso Italiano in Monterey Bay around $150. Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, $150 in advance or $175 day of.
And MANY hundreds attend each year and all the cars are standing still


PS That's for a spectator without a car.

[Igofastr]

The Best Friend Carroll Shelby Ever Had
by Colin Comer, Sports Car Market magazine

Today Carroll Shelby is sitting on top of the automotive world. At 84, he is an automotive icon. The 1,003 Cobras he created from 1962 through 1967 are among the most-sought-after collectible cars of all time, evidenced by the $5.5M result of CSX3015 at Barrett-Jackson this past January. A Cobra Daytona Coupe was recently reported sold for $13m. Any Shelby American factory team car has two commas in its price. Even garden variety original 289 and 427 street Cobras trade routinely for over half a million dollars. Shelby Mustangs, originally about $4,500, now can bring 100 times that amount. Cobras are the most replicated car ever--currently more than 50 companies all over the world crank out Cobra replicas. And Shelby is back with Ford, again making Shelby Mustangs after 40 years. But it wasn't always like this.

In 1970, Carroll Shelby saw the writing on the wall: performance cars were coming under the microscope. Federal emission and safety requirements and high insurance rates were conspiring to make the performance car an endangered species. Shelby cashed in his chips and left the game, closing down his company. He preferred to spend his time hunting big game in Africa and dabbling in commercial real estate. His Cobras and Shelby Mustangs became just "used cars" and began the predictable downward slide of depreciation. Second and third owners began searching for parts to keep them on the road, and to find people who knew how to work on them. Authenticity was rarely a concern, nor was historical significance. That old race car may have won a lot of races, but was now just a beater to get to work in.

In 1975, there was no company to go to for expertise or advice. Shelby was long gone, and the factory a distant memory. Former Shelby employees had moved on. Your local Ford dealer didn't want to sell you parts--they were hopeful that you'd give up and buy a new Mustang II. So a handful of owners formed the Shelby American Automobile Club. They dedicated SAAC (pronounced "sack") to the preservation, history, care and enjoyment of Shelby automobiles. They formed a network to share parts sources and technical information. They sold and traded parts among themselves by way of classified ads in the club's publication. They held a national convention each summer where a couple of thousand owners and enthusiasts gathered to revel in their unique cars. Days were filled with car shows, swap meets and driving at speed on closed courses. Evenings were taken up with seminars, dinners and guest speakers. Even Carroll Shelby's interest was piqued and he was surprised to find himself the guest of honor and center of attention, receiving standing ovations and long lines of enthusiasts waiting patiently to get their pictures taken with him or to get his autograph. Shelby was back, and ol' Shel was a bona fide celebrity to the SAAC members.

The history of Cobras and Shelby Mustangs became very important to SAAC. The club tirelessly gathered information on every car and every owner they could locate. They researched serial numbers, technical details and running production changes. They tracked competition cars, noting the races, drivers, finishing positions and car numbers. Boxes of paperwork left behind at Shelby American and headed for the dumpster were secured, every page being scrutinized, filed, and recorded. Hundreds of members spent thousands of hours building databases of information which led to publishing a registry. Every serial number was listed and every scrap of information was included. And overnight, Shelby's cars--which had been orphans--became valuable. There was now an official publication to validate the genuine cars and expose the fakes. Make no mistake--as values climbed the number of counterfeit Cobras and Shelby Mustangs increased. Fortunately, the club's registrars were able to keep track of the originals. Their dedication served to protect the marque and is responsible, now some 30 years later, for the current confidence in Shelby cars due to the accuracy and accessibility of the club's documentation. In fact, those looking to "correct" history or exhibit selective amnesia about certain details of their cars past refer to SAAC's registrars as "The Untouchables." Privileged information and private notes kept by the Registrars are just that--it is protected fiercely by SAAC for the good of the cars.

The Shelby American Automobile Club kept the brand name "Shelby" alive during Carroll Shelby's absence from the automotive world. When Shelby signed a contract with Chrysler to build 4-cylinder "performance cars," SAAC continued to stoke the fires of Ford enthusiasm. In the 1990s, when Carroll Shelby decided to capitalize on the renewed enthusiasm for his cars and the power of his name, he began building Cobras again. SAAC had kept his fans like a good getaway driver keeps your car--"close and running". Of course, these fans also had their checkbooks in hand.

SAAC continues to collect information, expanding its databases to include the new Shelby cars. Every ten years the club publishes an updated version of its registry, the last edition is a staggering 1,333 pages! The club holds a national convention every summer, each one bigger and better than the last. In fact, they have become so large that the only facilities capable of accommodating them are major race circuits. Amazingly, the club has remained under the same stable volunteer leadership for 32 years. And members? Almost 5,000 worldwide, and for the last 15 years SAAC has enjoyed an 85% membership renewal rate. This is serious dedication.

Throughout the years Carroll Shelby has recognized the value of SAAC and has supported the club and its goals. The result speaks for itself--compare Shelby values and club support to similar manufacturers such as Cunningham or Allard. Shelby correctly realized that manufacturers never run good owner organizations--enthusiasts do because they secure a large number of dedicated volunteers, enabling their club to provide exactly the kind of organization its members desire. This leaves manufacturers like Shelby free to concentrate building cars. It is a perfect symbiotic relationship.

Colin Comer, Sports Car Market magazine

[RACER X #99]

Originally Posted by A-Snake

Concorso Italiano in Monterey Bay around $150. Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, $150 in advance or $175 day of.
And MANY hundreds attend each year and all the cars are standing still


PS That's for a spectator without a car.

Nowhere do I see the name Mustang or Cobra among those shows. I refuse to wear a suit to a car show.

[TerrysSPF]

Igofastr: Great article. Funny how times change, huh? Why Shelby continues to destroy relationships with people / companies is beyond me. I'm waiting to see how things end with Shelby and Superformance. You know it will.................it's only a matter of time.

I just went to the Concours d'Elegance in Hilton Head Island last weekend. Great show, and they had a couple Cobra's (and plenty of Mustangs) there. I go to the Concours in Amelia Island every year as well. Peter Brock was in Amelia a couple years ago with his SPF Coupe and took me for a ride (see my photo gallery). It only cost me about 50 bucks for the weekend - and I didn't have to wear a suit!
-Those shows in Monterey and Pebble must think their $hit doesn't stink!

[Don]

While not yet in the same league as other major Concours, Greenwich ( CT Gold Coast ) is $20 day or $30 for two days. Desire is to have national prominence, someday.

http://www.greenwichconcours.com/Main.htm

[Russ Dickey]

Originally Posted by Jamo

Aston Martin has carried the flag for Ford in ALMS for the past several years...pretty damn well in fact. Lends an international bent for the series, and allows them to run in Europe with modifications. Shelby's a good label, but having a DBR1-colored Aston Martin and numbering it "007" ain't assactly a bad marketing move (though its teammate 009 was the better runner).

Saleen's running in GT-1 as well, as does Panoz. So, Ford is represented more than most.

But with Ford shedding its high-end stuff, maybe the door does open for a Shelby racing team...although a Ford GT might make more sense. It would harken back to Shelby running one of the GT40 teams.

I know that we are getting way off topic with this stuff, but Kevin Doran of Doran Racing (who has run Ford-powered Daytona Prototypes in Grand Am) is finalizing construction of several Ford GT's which he is going to campaign for '08 in ALMS GT2. As was stated before, it is rumored that Chevrolet is preparing to campaign the Corvette in GT2 as well, so next years ALMS season could be one of the best ever. Ford vs. Chevy vs. Ferrari vs. Porsche

Doran had originally been planning to run the Ford GT in the GT1 class, and had set up a pretty good website talking all about it: http://fordgttv.com/

As far as the rest of the stuff discussed in this thread...I have been a SAAC member since 1984 at the age of 13 (I "inherited" the membership after the passing of my father, who was a member from 1981), and I just sent in my renewal for '08.

I think it is extremely disheartening to hear that the two institutions which I have supported and been loyal to for so long, Carroll Shelby and SAAC, have split, but nonetheless I will continue to support each going forward. I also just signed up for Team Shelby.

[Don]

From an opinion article, Matters of Moment by Andrew Frankel, in December MotorSports, regarding the McLaren and Ferrari controversy:

"..........rarely has anyone ended up looking good while trying so hard to make someone else look bad. "

Seems the same thought could apply to many situations.

[c_dundee]

Did anyone form Shelby contact SAAC and try to work out a plan or was the rug pulled out?

[John McMahon]

...this all gets very confusing.

I remember hearing rumours a year or two ago, that the upper management at SAAC was going to sell it off and step down.

Not sure if that ever occurred, but in the interim, last year, didn't SAAC and the SVTOA group merge? SAAC, as I understand it, was in the process of growing, yet again, as an automotive entity.

Future Plans - I know for a fact that SVTOA was all set to run the track portion of the 2008 SAAC convention in NJ, but am not sure what this meant in regards to changes to all conventions moving forward, whether it meant, SAAC would now honor both Shelby and SVT autos (??).

That being said, what does this mean to the future of both these clubs?

[computerworks]

John... Ford cut the SVTOA loose last year and they then 'affiliated' with SAAC, since they were laying claim to the new GT500.

SAAC-32 (Utah) was a joint convention with SAAC and SVTOA... SAAC F-S-S and SVTOA S-S-M....two separate banquets.

It met with, shall we say, mixed reviews.

[John McMahon]

Originally Posted by computerworks

John... Ford cut the SVTOA loose last year and they then 'affiliated' with SAAC, since they were laying claim to the new GT500.

SAAC-32 (Utah) was a joint convention with SAAC and SVTOA... SAAC F-S-S and SVTOA S-S-M....two separate banquets.

It met with, shall we say, mixed reviews.

Oy Vey...thanks Ron. This is like marrying yer sister.

They do that in Utah, don't they?

[Rick Parker]

Only if she looks pretty good!....................

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by John McMahon

Oy Vey...thanks Ron. This is like marrying yer sister.

They do that in Utah, don't they?

I think you mean West Virginia.

[Don]

Another way there has been exposure of the Cobra, now and for the future, kits being donated to high school students for their Mechanical and Auto Body Shops. This approach will reach a generation that has not had the same experiences as many on Club Cobra and other forums. While there have been others, a recent example:

http://denver.yourhub.com/Brighton/S...ry~390238.aspx